It's Not You
by javaeurok
Summary: Emily and JJ are figuring out where their feelings fit with one another. They finally figure it out and get together, because why wouldn't they? Then all sorts of crazy sex and happiness ensues.
1. Rain Check

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Criminal Minds. If I did, Emily and JJ would have hooked up back in Season 2 and the show would go year round, none of this 'season finale we'll resume in 4 or 5 months' non-sense.

**Author's Note:** I haven't written anything fiction since high school English classes several years ago. I'm a software developer, not a writer... but I promise it's not going to suck. Who knows, you might actually enjoy my crude vernacular and sense of humor. It's going to be unlike other stories you read on here, and if you give it half a chance I'm sure you'll enjoy it. I changed it from T to M at chapter 10 so it's not dirty until then. Also, comments are open to non-members so send all of the love it/hate it reviews that your heart desires.

* * *

The jet returned to the airstrip at 8:45 pm ensuring most of the team members wouldn't get to their homes until nearly 9:30. In hopes to get a few hours of sleep before returning to begin another week, no one chose to stick around to do any necessary paperwork before heading home to unwind.

Jennifer Jareau walked through the already deserted bullpen and called out to her friend, Emily Prentiss, as she was about the board the elevator down to the parking garage, "Hey, did you want to go get a quick bite to eat before heading home? Maybe a beer?"

Emily looked up into beautiful blue eyes, smiling inwardly at the gesture, but politely declined, "no thanks Jay, I just want to get home, take a bath, and get some sleep. I'm exhausted, and I'm sure you are too." Seeing the look of defeat written all too clearly on JJ's face, she offered "Rain check?"

_Rain check, really? You're going to use that one on me again? Have you forgotten I have a handful of your 'rain checks' already? Jesus Christ, Prentiss, just fucking admit it already that these days you'd rather have dinner with the evil witch Strauss than me._ Instead of voicing her thoughts, she plastered a fake smile on her face, "Yeah sure, of course."

The ride down the elevator was agonizingly long, and once the doors opened, Emily all but threw herself out the door, hurrying to her car. She called over her shoulder, "see you tomorrow JJ."

JJ walked into her office early that following morning, attempting to wipe the sleep from her eyes before the hustle and bustle of the day arrived. One could hope the nation's serial killers would take a brief hiatus to allow her team a slight reprieve. She dropped her briefcase alongside her desk and pulled out three files that she'd been keeping an eye on recently then proceeded to check her voice mail. Thankfully, the voicemail messages were only informative, none requiring urgent attention. After a review of several case files and determining who they should be handed off to, her cell phone began ringing. A quick glance to her watch informed her it was already 8:27 am. She knew it was too much to ask for to allow this week to start slowly.

"Agent Jareau" she answers professionally.

"Agent Jareau, this is Deputy Police Chief Tom Sanders from the Avon, Colorado Police Department. We spoke on the phone on Friday. Have you had the chance to review my file?" His voice sounding hopeful that she'll be able to provide him some much needed assistance.

"Yes sir, I have. I've handed it off to Special Agent Derek Morgan to develop a profile which should be done later today if we don't get called out." JJ assured, with a half-hearted smile knowing this was not the answer he was hoping for.

"There's been another body discovered in the same area and a young woman reported missing within the last hour from the same ski lodge. I've faxed over the information, but we could really use your help." came his rushed reply, hoping to change her mind quickly before she tried to get him off of the phone.

JJ asked for some more specific details and any additional findings that may be of use. She advised him she'd need to review the information and put the files together to brief her team before they could leave, but that he should be expecting their arrival early in the afternoon.

* * *

Emily had gone home on Sunday night and grabbed herself a bottle of wine and a glass. She had needed a drink when JJ offered but just couldn't allow herself to cave. She had carefully constructed the walls protecting her heart before she'd fully finished the foundation. The structure was wobbly and on the verge of completely collapsing at the hands of one Jennifer Jareau if she wasn't careful. Months ago, she opted to try to tuck away the thoughts that were running through her mind into a tiny compartment.

This compartmentalization was becoming increasingly difficult, and felt it may be easier to write them in a journal since she certainly couldn't tell anyone about the thoughts taking hold of her. Maybe if she had written them down and gotten them out then that's where these unwelcome thoughts and feelings would stay. Out of her mind. She started writing and then soon, the words wouldn't stop. Unfortunately for her, once the words were on paper, realization took over and there'd be no denying them, so she shoved them into a drawer and slammed it shut before pouring herself another glass of wine.

Waking up later than expected, Emily ran a brush through her hair quickly, brushed her teeth, and ran out the door. She walked into the office and plopped herself down at her desk, facing away from Derek with her head in her hands.

Derek opened his mouth to say something but was cut off by Emily's muffled voice coming through her hands, "Don't even start Derek."

"What?" came his automatic reply, his lips turning up into a wide smile. _This should be fun,_ he thought.

"You know what. You know that you were about to grill me. Save it. I'm just a little under the weather." Sighing internally, she could only think, _they call it love-sick for a reason._

_Clearly, Prentiss is either tired or hung-over._ Assuming one was the result of the other, he decided to push. "Late night, huh, Prentiss? A few too many drinks, woke up at a random guy's house when you realized you didn't have time to get home and then to work on time. That's why you're still wearing what I saw you in yesterday." Morgan replied with a smug looking grin on his face.

Emily looked at herself,_ Shit! I didn't fucking change, great. Now I do look like I just came from an all night fuck fest. If only that were true._ "No! Stop profiling me, I did nothing of the sort." Half-truths are still truths, right? _If only it had been that easy to explain away. I did definitely have a few too many drinks and woke up with too little time to shower. I can't believe I didn't even think to change. I probably stink._

"The reddening of your cheeks says otherwise, Prentiss."

"No! You're wrong." Emily replied, getting even more worked up. She just wanted him to shut the hell up, the throbbing of her headache making her even more uncomfortable.

Walking out of her office to the fax machine, JJ overheard Emily vehemently denying something Derek had said while taking in her unusually disheveled appearance. She lingered for a few moments to try to determine what had Emily so worked up this morning.

Emily glanced over and saw JJ slowly moving towards them from the fax machine and lowered her tone, "Can we please drop this?"

"Oh, no, no, no. No way Prentiss, you're not getting off the hook that easily. How about we ask JJ? JJ, doesn't Emily look like she just spent the entire night drinking and . . ."

JJ, noticing the increased reddening of Emily's face and lack of eye contact decided to intervene and perhaps probe for answers later. "I'm sorry to interrupt this obviously, completely work-appropriate conversation, but we have a case. Meet in the conference room at 9 am."


	2. Hangover

Disclaimer: I still don't own Criminal Minds and because of that, JJ and Emily still haven't hooked up.

Emily walked off toward the bathroom to splash a little water on her face and to gauge just how bad she looked this morning. After doing her best to quickly alter her professional appearance, she stopped by the break room to buy herself a juice from the vending machine before heading into the conference room. If she was going to pretend to be "sick" then she'd try to make it look more realistic.

Emily was the first team member aside from JJ to enter the conference room. She sat staring at her hands clutching her juice, fumbling with it to keep herself occupied.

Growing slightly concerned at Emily's unwillingness to look at her, meet her gaze, or even acknowledge her existence, JJ called out to her. "Emily?"

Not looking up at her, Emily replied, "Yeah?"

"Is everything OK? Are you OK?" JJ's voice was laced with sympathy and worry.

"Yeah. It's fine. I'm just… not feeling well." Emily said, while holding up the bottle of juice to try to convince JJ, and herself, that it's what her problem was.

Not convinced but also not willing to pry, "OK, if you need…" before JJ could finish, Hotch and Rossi walked in followed by Reid so her words died on her tongue. Emily nodded her head towards her in understanding, still unwilling to meet her eyes.

After Morgan arrived, JJ began briefing the team.

"Amanda Wood, 25, went missing 3 weeks ago while enjoying a long weekend with her fiancé in Avon, Colorado. Body discovered by a skier 4 days later. Abigail Turner, 18, went missing 2 weeks ago, skiing with her family for the weekend, body discovered 5 days later. Margaret Gierach, 23, went missing a week ago, body discovered 2 days ago. And Josephine Lowe, 26, reported missing an hour ago didn't return to her room last night after going out for a walk."

Hotch spoke up indicating they didn't have a lot of detailed information in regard to time of death due to the bodies being discovered outdoors at a ski resort.

Twenty minutes later, they were aboard the jet heading to Vail, CO airport.

Hotch split the group up and assigned their tasks, "Morgan, Reid, visit with the first two victims families. Prentiss, JJ visit with the family of the third and fourth victims. See what we can find out about the most recent one. We need to operate under the assumption that she's still alive. Dave and I will head to the precinct. Got it?" Everyone nodded.

JJ drove herself and Emily to the small town of Red Cliff to visit with the family of victim three, but turned up no new information. They headed towards the home of their most recent victim Josephine Lowe when a heavy snow began falling.

JJ broke the silence, "Are you feeling any better?"

Emily's internal battle was waging. "No." Emily replied with a bit too much force.

"I'm sorry I asked. I won't bother anymore." JJ quietly responded, clearly hurt.

Emily sighed, "No, JJ. I'm sorry. We'll talk later. We've got work to do." She had no real intention of actually offering up any information, but she felt obligated to apologize for being so cold.

After meeting with several family members of the most recent victim, JJ and Emily headed back to the precinct and then to the lodge they'd be staying at. There had been 5 rooms available, but the boys had all already taken their own leaving Prentiss and JJ to share a room.

_Just fucking great_, Emily began mumbling to herself as she walked back to the SUV about having to share a room, not realizing she was speaking slightly louder than she thought. JJ overheard her displeasure and dampened her mood for the remainder of the evening. She was looking forward to going to their room and sitting in front of a window to watch the snow fall. It was a beautiful night, and she was hoping their room had a view of anything other than a parking lot.

After opening the door and dropping her go bag to the floor, Emily asked JJ if she wanted the first shower.

Looking at her incredulously, "no, I'm not going to take one. Why do you even care? Clearly you don't want to share a room with me, so stop acting as though you're interested in my actions. I'm just going sleep. Pretend I'm not here."

"What are you talking about?" Emily asked, disbelievingly.

"Save it Emily. I thought we were friends." Pushing past Emily and throwing her bag onto her bed, she opened it to grab some more comfortable clothes to change into.

"We are friends. I'm just dealing with some things right now, Jay."

Rolling her eyes, "Oh, that's right, but you see, I would have known that if you'd talk to me." Peeling her shirt over her head and throwing it in her bag, she continued bitterly, "What happened to you being able to come to me about everything? For weeks, months even, you've been hurrying yourself off the phone with me, you've turned down every offer for lunch and coffee at work for God knows how long."

Unzipping her bag, rifling through its contents, she grabbed the shirt she was about to change into when she saw through the mirror that Emily was watching her closely. JJ instantly started to get a little hot thinking about her friend watching her clad in only her bra and dress pants. Then she remembered what had pissed her off in the first place.

JJ continued her tirade, "If I didn't know any better, I'd think you don't like me." Realization dawning on her as she spoke, raising her voice an octave as she blurted hastily, "That's it! You don't like me; wow, I'm such a fucking idiot. Here I was worrying about your well-being. Whatever."

She pulled the shirt over her head, shoving her arm through the arm loops and began removing her pants allowing her eyes to occasionally glance at the mirror to see Emily still watching her. Emily was in her own world, unbeknownst to her, JJ purposely dropped her pajama pants on the floor to have to bend down and pick them up before easing them on.

JJ broke Emily from her trance "Ugh, you can't even deny it can you? I just need to brush my teeth, and then you can shower."

Slightly confused but recovering quickly, Emily replied while moving across the room, "Wh—oh, yeah, take your time. I'm going to go grab some ice anyway."

She walked over and grabbed the ice bucket before walking out of the room. Once the door closed, she sighed out loud and mumbled to herself, '_good one Prentiss. On top of her possibly seeing you ogle her while changing, you didn't even have the where with all to admit that you don't hate her. There's no way she saw you watching her, she never even looked up at you. Thank god. You're still an idiot though._'


	3. Straight Girl

Disclaimer: I still don't own Criminal Minds and because of that, JJ and Emily still haven't hooked up.

Emily came back while JJ was still brushing her teeth. JJ crawled into bed and then watched the snow fall outside trying to wrap her mind around everything that had transpired just a few minutes before. Emily proceeded to find clothing to wear to bed then started her shower. JJ watched the older agent's movements through the slight reflection in the window as she exited the bathroom.

Emily hopped onto her bed, turned on the television and started aimlessly flipping through the channels. She stopped on a re-run of Masterminds on the History Channel; it sounded somewhat interesting. 30 minutes later and still unable to sleep, JJ removed herself from her bed and proceeded to find her jacket, hat, gloves, scarf and shoes to go for a walk.

"Where are you going?" asked Emily.

JJ continued looking for her shoes. Illuminated only by the light of the television, she put them on and made her way to the door. She looked back at Emily briefly before leaving without uttering a word.

Knowing there was some serious tension between herself and JJ, Emily thought about following her out the door to make sure she was safe. After all, there was a serial killer on the loose abducting young females from a neighboring ski resort. After 20 or so minutes and still no JJ, Emily decided to do the only thing she could do, and that was to call Garcia and try to get some help without coming right out and saying anything incriminating about herself.

"Oh Captain, my Captain." greeted Penelope Garcia.

"Hey. Got a minute?" Emily closed her eyes and whispered.

"For you? Of course, my little Gumdrop. What can I do for you?"

"I know how much you like to spread information like one of your computer viruses, but I need you to keep a secret. And no judging allowed." Emily replied, shielding her mouth with her free hand to try to muffle the sounds. Not entirely sure what she was afraid of, but she wanted to ensure no one would overhear if one of her team members was on the other side of the wall.

"Ok. Ok. Go on. Spill it." Penelope responded, overly excited for some juicy gossip.

"I'm in love."

"OOOH! Do tell. Is it the guy you were with last night? You looked awfully tired this morning. Is he good? Come on, quit stalling! Details Princess." Garcia squealed on the other end of the line.

Sighing, defeated "Absolutely not. There is no guy. I spent last night at home." Realizing that this would mean nothing to Garcia, a few moments later she added "Alone."

"What do you mean, 'there is no guy'? You just said that you're in love." Garcia asked, mild confusion evident in her voice.

"That's right. I did, and I am. You see, I'm in love… with a girl. A straight girl. A straight girl who has no idea, might I add, and probably never will."

"Oh. OH! Wow, my little princess is a skirt chaser, huh?" Garcia giggled, "So, what is the lucky girl's name? Where did you meet? Is she married, or how do you know she's straight?"

"Remember, you promised. Ok?" Emily stated firmly.

"Of course I remember, now out with it! This is huge. I can do a background investigation on her! Tell me her name already."

Laughing lightly, "That won't be necessary Garcia. Ok, it's..." at that moment she heard what she assumed to be JJ's key card in the door. "Hold on a second" she stated pausing to make sure someone was in fact entering, "Look, I have to go. I can't talk about this right now."

"What? Why not? May I remind you that YOU called ME?" Garcia exclaimed at the ensuing cliffhanger that is Emily's lover.

"I know, and I'm sorry. I just, I can't talk right now. I'm not alone anymore."

"Oh. I get it now. You don't want anyone else to know. Ok, call me as soon as you are alone again. I need to know these things Princess." Garcia resigned herself to knowing she'd have to wait just a little bit longer to find out who the mystery girl is.

"Bye, and thanks. I'll talk to you soon. Ok, yep. Bye." Emily ended the call, slowly hanging up her cell phone, looking up, staring into JJ's expectant eyes.


	4. It's Not You

Disclaimer: I still don't own Criminal Minds and because of that, JJ and Emily still haven't hooked up.

"Well?" JJ asked, devoid of emotion.

"Well, what?" Emily responded, unsure what was going on.

"Well, I was down in the lobby thinking. Thinking a lot. We used to be best friends, Emily. I used to be the person that you came to with things, all kinds. I don't know why you can't talk to me about what's going on, but I know you're seeing someone. I didn't know until this morning and Morgan asked me if I thought you looked like you'd spent all night drinking and I'm guessing he was going to say having sex because that's certainly how you looked. I'm sorry about whatever I did that pushed you away. I want my best friend back, Emily. Talk to me about the new guy. Let me back in. Then maybe I can help you through the other things that are going on."

"It's really not that easy, Jay. I wish it was." Emily replied, appearing on the verge of tears.

JJ kicked her shoes off and threw her jacket over a chair before approaching the bed. She crawled in front of Emily, before sitting, both knees touching Emily's and taking her hands in her own. "I know I said some mean and hurtful things to you earlier Emily, I'm sorry. I had a lot of time to think and I'm not going to let you push me away anymore. You need to open up. I think your compartment inventory is full, so let some things out. It'll help, I promise." JJ spoke affectionately, rubbing her thumbs over the tops of Emily's hands.

"I don't know, Jay. I can try, I just don't even really know where to start?" Emily spoke, nearly breaking at the feeling of JJ's hands caressing her own.

"You can start with telling me who your new lover is? Its Mick Rawson isn't it? I knew you two had gone on a date, I didn't realize it was serious." JJ spoke with a smile on her face.

"No!" Emily replied hastily, then backpedaled slightly, "no, JJ, he's polite, funny, a pretty good guy, great actually. Hell, he'd probably make a good husband. It's just…" Emily paused briefly trying to decipher what to say next.

JJ took this as a sign that she was done speaking, "He sounds pretty much perfect then, so what's the problem?" JJ asked, furrowing her brow trying to determine where the problem was.

Emily looked up into JJ's face and was met with a pair of sad, understanding blue eyes. Emily knew she should be able to share her love life with her best friend; it's just a little more complicated when your best friend becomes your love life. How was she going to get through this?

"Well, JJ, the problem is that, well, it's that he's… he's just… I'm not sure how to say it."

JJ squeezed Emily's hands to ensure she was listening and waiting, "tell me when you're ready. It can't be that bad. Or wait, is the sex bad? Because you know, sex is like pizza. Even when it's bad it's still pretty good. At least you're getting some."

Chuckling a little before beginning, "He's just, well, here we go." Dropping her chin a bit to not have to see the look passing through JJ's eyes when she made her admission, she continued, "He's the wrong gender for me, JJ." _There, I said it. I told her I'm gay… in a round about way._

"Oh, wow. I had no idea." JJ stated unwilling to mention how she had remembered the way Emily's eyes wandered her partially unclothed body early. Removing her hands from Emily's to grip the sides of her face to turn her eyes towards her. She was met with sad, tear-rimmed, coffee-colored orbs that tugged at her heart. "Why didn't you tell me sooner? Were you afraid I'd judge you?" Emily nodded slightly but didn't speak. "Listen to me, Emily" JJ stated, rubbing her thumbs lightly over the corners of Emily's eyes to catch the tears that were about to spill from her eyes. "You're my best friend. It doesn't matter to me who you fall in love with, Ok? I just want you to be happy, and I want you to know that you can always come to me with anything."

Emily smiled slightly, then nodded, "Thank you JJ. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner."

JJ smiled back devilishly and asked, "so, are you going to tell me about her, or what? I can't have my best friend love sick over a girl with no one to talk to."

Emily was unsure how to proceed. "How can you be so sure that there is a girl?" Emily asked, eyes down cast.

"Well, first of all." JJ turned Emily's head back up to look her in the eyes, and she smiled into the dark chocolate orbs, "You've been rather bitchy towards me for the last couple of months, unwilling to meet up outside of the office. I assume you're busy with her and your bitchiness was a result of something relationship-wise."

"I've really been that big of a bitch?" Emily asked, smiling playfully. JJ smiled even wider, realizing her playful banter was accepted and reciprocated.

"Oh yeah, but it's Ok. I understand now. As I was saying though; when I walked in the room you were on the phone. As soon as I got inside you said you were no longer alone and had to go. I can only assume the conversation was personal, maybe even a little dirty." JJ said chuckling and wagging her eye brows. "Tell me about her. I may not be a profiler, but you're an even worse liar, so spill it Prentiss."

Emily mulled over this information in her head for a few moments. _I could just tell her. I could be honest with her, tell her about the girl as if it wasn't her. I can't very well lie to her and tell her there isn't a girl; she's made it perfectly clear that she already knows anyway._

A smile formed on Emily's lips and a twinkle in her eye before speaking, "I don't know how to explain it. I need some way to put her into words, but its difficult trying to explain someone to someone else so that they know the way your heart beats out of control every time you're around them. You know what I mean?"

JJ grinned as she listened to her friend speak, "Aww, I can't wait to hear more. Keep going."

Emily continued, "She's just that girl. _**THAT**_ girl. The one that you want with every pore in your body, but you just can't have for one reason or another. And she has no idea because I won't let her. Part of me wants to tell her every time I see her, but how would I start that conversation? 'Hey, I think I'm madly in-love with you and I have no idea why'? Somehow I don't see that working." Blushing slightly her eyes met JJ's to see her reaction. She couldn't believe she had just said all of that.

"Wow, so you never told her? Why not?" JJ asked, not fully understanding how you could feel so strongly for someone and not tell them. In the back of her mind a feeling started creeping its way into her conscious mind, _jealousy_. JJ was jealous of this nameless, faceless girl, but why?

"I've wanted to. Boy, have I ever, but she's straight and we've kind of been friends for a few years so it would just complicate things immensely. I don't have a lot of friends as it is so I can't risk losing her friendship. I've been trying to box her up in one of my compartments, but I don't know, I guess maybe she's claustrophobic, because she doesn't stay put for very long. She always finds some way to resurface and remind me." Emily rambled on finally letting go, tears falling down her face, forgetting momentarily that she was talking to the object of her affection and not just to herself.

JJ didn't say anything in response, instead she pushed herself up off of the bed and grabbed one of the two pillows sitting behind Emily and threw it onto the floor, positioning the other against the headboard. She sat herself down behind Emily, legs on either side and grabbed her shoulders to lean the older woman's back to her front. JJ rested her chin on Emily's shoulder and ran her fingers down both of Emily's forearms then laced their fingers together. She wrapped their joined arms across Emily's midsection, before speaking.

"She's missing out." JJ finally whispered against Emily's ear. "From the way you speak of her, she sounds amazing. It's too bad for her that she can't see what's right in front of her."

Emily closed her eyes to relish the closeness, ever the realist, knowing this wouldn't last nearly long enough.

JJ watched hers and Emily's conjoined reflection in the mirror on the wall across from the foot of the bed for a few minutes. Emily's head was leaned against hers, eyes closed, looking… _breathtaking? Is that the right word? _Instead of allowing her mind to travel down the path of not-so-straight thoughts she hadn't explored since college, she cast her eyes a different direction. She leaned her head forward to rest her nose against Emily's shoulder to breathe in the scent of her subtle perfume mixed with the aroma of her body wash. JJ couldn't help letting her eyes run down the top of Emily's tank focusing on the crevasse between her breasts. Jennifer internally chastised herself, '_so much for not letting your curiosity get the better of you Jareau! Have you listened to nothing she said? She's in-love with somebody, and it's not you!'_

Meanwhile, Emily was trying to memorize the feel of JJ's body pressed against hers. '_Her hands feel so soft on my skin, and her breasts against my back, I could get used to… oh god, is she breathing against my neck? I can't be responsible for any noise my body may make feeling that hot breath on my skin. Now her nose is pressed to my shoulder. I can feel her lips against my shoulder. She's not kissing me though, they're just existing against my skin. Mmm, what I wouldn't give to have her kiss any part of me right now. I wonder if she even realizes what she's causing to happen underneath those hands draped across my midsection._'

JJ broke their comfortable silence, "We should probably get some rest, don't you think?"

"Mmm, I guess you're right. I don't really want to move though. I'm comfortable." Emily said, with a sad undertone in her voice; eyes still closed. _This is going to be a long night;_ _I can't tell her that I need to take a shower, a cold one, definitely a cold one, because I just took one less than an hour ago._

"You don't have to. I can sleep in the other bed so you can just lay back and sleep." JJ replied.

It wasn't exactly what Emily had meant, but she couldn't very well admit that right now, so she replied simply, "thanks. Thanks for being my friend, and for letting me be lazy."

"Of course" JJ said as she wrapped both of her arms a little tighter around Emily from behind to give her a reassuring squeeze. "You, Emily Prentiss, are a catch." She continued smiling before placing a quick kiss to Emily's temple before moving to stand up.


	5. Admissions

Disclaimer: It hasn't changed. Criminal Minds still isn't mine

Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I'm not completely happy with this chapter, but I think I salvaged it. Chapter 6 will be better, at least it has a definitive direction.

* * *

Unwilling to let the contact subside, Emily opted to not release the hold she had on JJ's hands that were voluntarily wrapped around her thin frame when she tried to stand up. _Guess she should have thought about that before getting so close, huh?_

"Emily, what are you doing? We need to sleep." JJ stated the obvious, half-heartedly trying to stand up again.

"Well, I was thinking… this has all been about me, right? You're not so bad yourself Jareau. Why is it that you're still single?" Emily asked, suddenly intrigued by anything that would keep JJ's arms around her a bit longer.

Quietly, JJ stated, "Can we talk about it tomorrow? I'm really tired." JJ asked with a brief manifestation of hope that Emily would allow her to get out of this situation.

"Yeah, sure. I'm sorry for prying. Get some sleep." Emily replied, giving JJ's hands a slight squeeze before letting go.

JJ hoisted herself up and placed a lingering kiss on Emily's forehead before extricating herself from the bed to move to the one just a few feet away. "Good night, Emily. And thank you for letting me back in."

The next morning, JJ's alarm went off at 6:15, forcing both women to get ready to head down to the lobby to meet with the rest of the team at 7. Spencer was staring out the window like a child witnessing snowfall for the first time, watching it continue to fall heavily when JJ and Emily entered the lobby. 16 inches had fallen overnight, blanketing the area forcing people to stay off of the roads until the plows could safely clear them. The snow was accumulating faster than it could be removed making travel virtually impossible.

After catching the weather on television and confirming with some staff members, it didn't appear that this storm would be letting up until the early morning hours on Tuesday. The treacherous conditions outdoors forced the team to operate from within the lodge, capable of doing very little. After about an hour of phone calls, the team retreated to their rooms, decidedly optimistic that their unsub wouldn't strike again in these conditions.

Emily stated that she was going to make another phone call, before quietly reminding JJ that they still needed to have a talk. JJ went up to their room wanting to sleep through the storm. The one outside and the one in. Trying to weather the emotional storm within was exhausting her.

"You've reached Penelope Garcia in the FBI's office of Supreme Genius. Speak." Garcia greeted cheerily, much too perky for the early morning hours, even with a 2 hour time difference.

"Hey. It's Em, I was calling to see if you had…"

Cutting her off mid-sentence, "No way, Princess. At this time, you are NOT allowed to be calling me about work. You are going to finish what you started last night. Besides, I know you're in the midst of a blizzard so anything I may or may not have for you can wait." Garcia stated matter-of-factly, quite proud of herself for thwarting Emily's attempt to bypass this conversation.

"I don't know Pen. I'm not sure I'm ready to say it. Then it becomes real. When it's unreal then I can pretend it doesn't exist." Emily whispered, all courage from the previous night deflated.

Getting right to the point, Garcia responded, "Riiight, and how is that working out for you, anyway? Let me remind you that you called me last night, while you're 1800 miles from home. That tells me one of two things. Either you and lover girl spoke on the phone and you were ready to combust from being away, or something happened between you and said girl yesterday. Which is it?"

Laughing animatedly, "Wow, I don't know why I ever underestimate you, Garcia. You're right though."

"You underestimate me? I'm hurt!" Garcia feigned hurt before continuing, "You better tell me who she is within the next 10 seconds. I am about to run a history on all your phone calls and text messages from the last week, so I'll find out even if I have to call them all myself! I assume you didn't run into said girl since you're in Colorado and the only other girl that you'd know in both places is JJ, but you said…" drifting off before revealing the knowledge of JJ's past, very female, lover(s). "Never mind what you said, your 10 seconds are up. The query is populating as we speak." Garcia babbled, proud of herself for covering her near slip quite nicely.

"You won't find anything interesting, but suit yourself." Emily added, still unsure if she could bring herself to reveal her love interest.

"If I won't find anything interesting, then…" Garcia paused, mind working as efficiently as Reid's to put the puzzle pieces together, "then by process of elimination, I would have to say she's a member of our team. Am I right?"

"Well, you're not wrong." Emily replied, unable to fully admit that she was right.

"Interesting. And since you called me first," pausing for dramatic effect, "then proceeded to hang up on me when JJ entered the room… yep, that's it! It's JJ. I figured it out," voice increasing in volume as the smile clearly spreading across her face was visible through the line. "Good choice, you little devil. Oh my gosh, what are you going to do? Wait, you have to tell her!"

"I don't know. I just… I don't know. It's not every day you fall for your best friend. This has to be inappropriate and wrong in at least a hundred ways."

"Pssh, wrong and inappropriate would be falling for Strauss," both women visibly shaking at the thought, "on top of wrong and inappropriate, it's gross, so don't do that. Wrong is not falling in-love with our very own media liaison. It doesn't feel wrong, does it?"

"No." Emily closed her eyes to recall the feel of JJ's body against hers, "I can still feel her lips on my forehead from last night."

"Wait, she kissed you? And you didn't tell me? What else are you holding out on me about?" Garcia stated sternly, clearly depicting that she expected an honest answer.

"Nothing happened. I don't know. I have to go though. Call you later." Emily rattled off quickly before hanging up suddenly feeling exposed and vulnerable.

Hearing the line go dead, Garcia stated anyway, "Ok…? Bye to you too."

Emily grabbed some breakfast food and coffee for herself and JJ from the café inside of the lodge before heading back upstairs. When she walked into the room, JJ was asleep, so she opted to work out in the fitness center for an hour or so to work off some of the sexual tension that had been building up inside her and to let JJ keep sleeping. Before leaving, she wrote a note and left it aside the food for the young blonde to find when she woke up.

JJ woke up when she heard the door to the room click closed. She looked around, half expecting to see Emily, but she wasn't anywhere visible from the bed. A few minutes later, she got up to take a shower then find something to eat. Moving towards the bathroom, she spotted a tray of food and a still steaming coffee. _Looks hot, feels hot, _she thought. Then she glanced at the hand-written note that stated:

"I didn't want to wake you.

Rain Check # 1 of 4+ months worth

You + Me = Lunch"

JJ sat and ate her breakfast, reading and re-reading the simple note left for her by Emily. Once finished with breakfast, she grabbed the note again and decided to stick it in her purse feeling as though it was something she'd want to hold on to. Continuing with her previous plans, she proceeded to take her morning shower and get ready for the unusual day off from work.

Emily came back while JJ was seated on the bed watching the weather. Emily glanced at it too, breaking the silence in the room. "That's some storm, huh? Expecting 32 inches total in some parts of the state."

JJ looked over at Emily, who clearly had just come from an intense work-out. _Maybe if she's not too tired, she can work me out. Oh god, I need to stop. _Pulling herself back to reality, she responded to the conversation dangled before her, "That's what they're saying." She stated motioning toward the television, "It's beyond my realm of realization how much snow that actually is, but I'm sure it'll be beautiful once it breaks. There's plenty of snowfall to keep the people coming back, even if some lunatic exists close by."

"I'd love to stay and chat, but I feel really gross. I need a shower." And with that, Emily disappeared into the bathroom with her go bag. After JJ heard the water start, she picked up her cell phone to call Penelope's cell.

"You've reached Penelope Garcia. Will this be for business or pleasure?"

"Hey Garcia. Can you tell me if there is anything to do in this lodge? Or maybe within walking distance if walking outside is an option." JJ asked, beginning to feel suffocated in her hotel room.

"Well, I can think of something people do in hotel rooms. Do I need to draw you a picture?" Garcia asked, deciding to test the waters and find out how JJ would feel about Emily being interested in her.

"Oh god, don't I know it. I'm frustrated, you know, _that_ kind of frustrated. I could go for some of that in my room right about now." JJ responded, not really one to shy away from a sexual connotation or innuendo.

"It wouldn't have anything to do with the brunette you're sharing a room with, would it?" Garcia prodded.

"What?" JJ asked, exasperated, continuing while dropping the annoyed tone to a friendlier one, "I mean, wow, how did you know?"

"Come on, I'm omniscient after all. So it's safe to say my little buttercup has a girl crush? Or has she bypassed the crush and jumped right into fantasizing about her writhing beneath…"

"Ok, Ok, I get the picture," JJ interrupted. "She's in the shower, please don't make me think about that with her in there. You're supposed to be helping, and this, THIS," JJ was motioning frantically with her hands, although unseen by her called party, "is not helping Garcia!" JJ all but yelled to get her point across.

"Maybe you should just ask her out then." She added nonchalantly as though people ask their best friends out every day, "Write your own story, JJ. Something along the lines of girl asks girl out. Girl dates girl. Girl fulfills pre-date fantasies. Girls have lots of tykes together."

"As nice as that all sounds, I'm out of practice, with everything. I haven't had a girlfriend since I was 22, and I haven't been on a date since the short, slow-talking, droopy-eyed Detective from New Orleans. What a mistake he was, and that was almost 2 years ago."

Conversation continued to flow freely for several more minutes. Once showered and clad in her clothes for the day, Emily opened the door to let some of the steam billow out whilst standing in the bathroom to finish getting ready, brushing her teeth, hair, etc.

"Listen, I should get going. Knowing that I'll be cooped up in this room all day is making my subconscious mind think the air is suffocatingly stale. I'm going to go get some fresh air."

"It's not the air. Stop second guessing and let whatever happens, happen. I'll see you in a few days when you get back. I expect a full report. And to answer your initial question about finding something to do for the day; ask a concierge, I'm not sure what's open without calling."

"Good bye, Garcia." JJ smiled before closing her phone.

After several minutes of rather comfortable silence, Emily came out of the bathroom fully dressed and ready for the day. She climbed onto her bed and started rifling through channels before settling on a random talk-show about cheating spouses. JJ sighed internally, _Great. At least when it's over it'll be close to lunch time._


	6. Lunch Date

Disclaimer: It hasn't changed. Criminal Minds still isn't mine.

Emily rolled herself off of the bed and wandered towards the bathroom to locate some lotion. The dry air was wreaking havoc on her soft skin. After rubbing her hands together and up and down both arms to work the product into her skin, she proceeded to shove her hands into her pockets as she walked out of the bathroom to look directly at JJ. _It's now or never. I don't think I'll ever be ready to possibly lose my best friend, but this is getting out of hand._ She leaned against the wall, moved her head back and closed her eyes for a few moments before resettling her gaze back on JJ.

"Did you get my note? Would that be Ok?" Emily asked shyly. _Not exactly what I wanted to say or how I wanted to say it, but it's a start._

"Thanks for breakfast, and of course I got your note. The rain check idea, nice touch. It was cute, and sweet; thanks for that." JJ smiled upon thinking about it again, "The contents…? I think it's a great idea, Em. So where are we going that's actually open?"

"That depends on what you want. There's not much open. A few of the staff downstairs said there's a small diner open next door, so we could walk over. It apparently has really good food if you're up for that. Otherwise the other option is the café downstairs."

"I hope you brought some clean, dry, clothes to change into when we get back. You know we're both gonna get really wet walking over there." JJ responded, before realizing the double meaning of what she had just said.

Emily relaxed at this comment realizing all the pressure had just been removed from her shoulders, "I'm not even going to respond to that." adorning a sheepish grin to her face while staring at the flustered appearance of JJ.

"Thank you. That came out totally wrong." JJ replied, blushing profusely.

Having lightened the mood a bit, the two fell into casual conversation getting ready to head to the diner next door. The two ran into Morgan down in the lobby. "Where are you two going? You do realize the visibility is minimal at best, right?" Morgan asked, alarmed that the two were even considering going outside.

"We're aware, thanks," Emily began replying before JJ could "but we are also aware that we need to eat and if you've had anything from the café here, then you'd know why we're willing to take our chances."

"Oh, eek, yeah, I had a soggy breakfast sandwich and an unusual tasting banana for breakfast. Don't remind me." Morgan replied, looking almost mortified at the recollection. "Do you mind if I come? I could use some decent food."

Emily's shoulder's shrugged a little bit at her lunch being ruined before looking over at JJ. JJ spoke up, "I'm sorry Morgan, its just that I have some things I kind of need to talk to Emily about. We can bring you back something though." She flashed an apologetic look towards him depicting that she truly was sorry.

"Hey, no problem ladies." Morgan smiled in understanding towards JJ before pulling a 20 dollar bill from his wallet, "I don't know what they have, but between the two of you, you should be able to figure out something that I'd like. Keep in mind, if it has bacon on it, you can't go wrong."

An hour later after having stuffed themselves full, JJ's cell phone chimed to indicate she had a text message. She opened it to see a message from Garcia. A brief look of horror crossed her face while reading: 'Ask her out on a date yet? I'm not above involving myself.'

Emily frowned at the look on her secret love's face before grabbing her free hand still sitting on the table. In a sweet, soothing voice, she asked, "Is everything Ok? You look… troubled."

"No, I'm Ok. Troubled isn't really the right word." Contemplating her words carefully, "it's just that there's this person that I want to ask out, like on a date, but I haven't asked anyone out since college and I don't really know what to say."

"Hmm, the ever-eloquent, quick-witted, media liaison for the BAU within the FBI doesn't know how to ask someone out on a date, eh? Is that even legal?" Emily joked then growing more serious. "As you can see from the current state of my love life, I'm probably not the best source of information, but if there's one thing I can offer it's this: don't fill your mind with all the what-ifs, you'll just second guess yourself and never act. There's always going to be what-ifs." Looking down at their joined hand, to mask the emotion building in her eyes, "You deserve to be happy, Jennifer. Really, truly happy."

"Emily?" JJ asked, slightly tugging on her hand to try to get her to look up; she didn't.

"Yeah."

Lacking a bit of confidence, she spoke anyway, "Would you like to maybe go out to dinner with me when we get back home? I mean, would you like to go on a date with me? I know there's that girl, and I'm not trying to discount your feelings for her. I just," sighing, realizing she was nervously rambling, she stopped trying to formulate words and smiled faintly.

"Are you finished?" Emily asked not giving away her satisfaction at being asked out on a date.

"I think so. Yeah. Sorry, nerves." JJ stated a bit jittery, giving off the appearance that she'd had an entire pot of coffee.

"I would like nothing better than to go out on a date with you, Jennifer."

Relief spreading across her features, JJ's eyes lit up with joy. "Really? I mean, good. It's a date then. But wait, what about the whole 'being in love with a straight girl' thing? This isn't going to be weird for you is it? You're not going to be with me and wish it was her, right?"

"It would appear that said straight girl is really kind of crooked. My profiling skills might need a little bit of work. You're welcome to ask her yourself if you're feeling up to it."

"Why would I ask her if it's Ok to go out on a date with you? She doesn't even know you're in love with her. That would be all kinds of awkward." JJ offered incredulously, not fully understanding what Emily was getting at.

"I guess you're right. She's too busy being a media liaison to take the profiler course because if she had she'd have pieced all of this information together a few minutes ago." Emily stated casually, then taking a sip of her drink staring expectantly at JJ for realization to dawn on her.

"Whoa. Wait. What? So, let me get this straight." The waitress approached and dropped off the To-Go box with Derek's lunch inside. JJ nodded a thank you towards her before continuing, "Wow, that's a lot to take in at once."

Emily sighed, "I'm sorry JJ. I wasn't exactly expecting to tell you that you are the girl I was talking about last night, but you were getting your jealous-girlfriend demeanor firmly in place so I diffused the situation the only way I knew how."

"That was so totally not jealous girlfriend," JJ huffed, moving to stand up and get ready to leave.

"Too bad. Your jealous girlfriend persona is kind of hot." Emily added with a touch of playfulness, also moving to stand.

Admitting the obviously, "Ok, maybe I was a little bit jealous."

"Just a little? Right, keep telling yourself that, Jennifer. So, I didn't scare you off? Not too big of a gap between my feelings and yours?" Emily asked, needing to know either way.

"Absolutely not. After the way you described your feelings last night, I'd be crazy to walk away now. This is just the beginning, Em. I want to be with you, in every way imaginable. I will require one thing of you though. Interested?"

"Sure, what is it?" Emily asked, a bit confused.

"You, Emily Prentiss, need to keep calling me 'Jennifer' the way that you have today. I never used to like it when my family said it, but I love the way it sounds coming from you."

"Hmm." Emily stated, pretending to think it over. "What if that's too much to ask?"

Picking up on the light-hearted mood, "then the offer is off the table, Prentiss. Take it or leave it." JJ replied with mock seriousness, pushing open the door to head back to the lodge.

After taking a few steps outside, "That's too bad." Emily said grabbing JJ's left hand in her right before stopping, pulling her into a hug, "I was kind of looking forward to kissing my jealous girlfriend." Emily leaned forward and placed a quick peck to JJ's lips before breaking the embrace and heading back toward the lodge. Upon taking a few steps and realizing JJ wasn't following she turned to ask, "Are you coming?"

"Yeah," shaking off the fog, "yeah, but first, can we do that again?"

"What, you mean this?" Emily retreated back to JJ and cupped her hands to her cheeks and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. JJ's lips were warm and soft, only vaguely familiar. After a moment, she deepened the kiss, urging her blonde beauty to open her mouth and relished in the feel when she did. Despite all the touching and fondling taking place previously in both of their minds, they hadn't actually kissed. It was in that moment that she realized how much she needed this. Emily slipped her tongue into JJ's inviting mouth as the smaller blonde's arms wrapped lightly around her (to not drop Derek's lunch.) Part of her mind, the tiny, rational part that was drowned by her emotions, knew she was playing with fire. Knew it, but didn't care. She pulled back slightly then rested her forehead against JJ's.

"Wow" Emily spoke, silently voicing, _so you were right about the whole getting wet and needing to change thing. Way to go Jareau._

"Yeah, that. We should probably head back now and get changed. Look at us." Both covered with snow that they brushed off before walking off to the lodge.

Upon arriving back at their lodge, JJ went to drop off Derek's lunch to him. Emily took the opportunity to give Garcia a call and advise her of the recent turn of events.

Opting to forgo the usual Garcia greeting, she answered, "Hello Princess, any updates?"

"You could say that." Emily gushed but not wanting to divulge all of the details in the first 8 seconds.

"So? You called me to make me beg? You're cruel. Continue, please."

"Her and I went out for lunch today. I bought her lunch at a little side mom and pop cafe next to the lodge. We each ordered a milk shake and she didn't like hers so we switched. It just felt right being there with her, watching her sip from my glass, and laughing at my stupid jokes."

"Aww, that's so cute. So you swapped saliva, eh? Indirectly of course."

"And directly." Emily added, incapable of hiding the fact that she had just encountered a delightful lip lock with one Jennifer Jareau.

"What? You kissed her? So is this official now?" Garcia squealed, incapable of containing her delight.

"Yeah, I did, and yeah I think it is. We talked a lot, about a lot of things. About family and some previous lovers/haunts. We talked about sports, even though I know nothing about them. That made me relax, at least as much as I could considering I was a mess just being around her. We talked about the future, goals, aspirations, and about this and that as we ate. I don't know half of what she said because I was staring at her so hard that I missed almost the entire conversation. I know this though, when she talks about something she's passionate about, she turns her head to the side slightly and looks at you with these intense blue eyes and it's just... amazing."

"Aww, who would have thought Emily Prentiss was such a romantic? I'm so happy for you."

"Thanks. So we made a date for later this week when we're back in DC. She actually asked me. This is all so surreal, Pen." Emily stated, unable to fully express her delight.

"Again, Em, I'm really happy for you. You deserve it. I should let you get back to her though. Don't do anything too naughty. Your room is right next to Hotch." Penelope couldn't help but add the bit of information.

"Garcia! We just had our first kiss like 10 minutes ago. I hardly foresee us having sex." Emily stated, slightly embarrassed about divulging such personal information.

"We'll see. In any event, I expect more info later. For now, Garcia out." And with that, the line went dead.


	7. Facing the Past

Disclaimer: I know it seems unbelievable, but I really don't own Criminal Minds.

Author's Note: It might be a bit too deep for some. It happens. This is an explanation of why JJ is single. There's a lot of conversation, it's basically the entire chapter. It's written without best English word order in mind and at times, no regard for sentence fragments or run-ons. Sometimes the way people actually speak is more powerful than how people are supposed to speak. After you're done, I hope you'll agree. So, for all of you English/Communication people out there… don't hate. lol.

* * *

Emily returned to her room shortly after JJ arrived back from dropping food off to Derek.

JJ looked a little distant after returning to the room and Emily got a sick feeling that she was having second thoughts about pursuing a relationship. She decided to don the hat of best friend instead of someone who was in love with her before broaching the subject.

"Hey you. Are you Ok?" Emily asked.

"Not particularly." JJ responded already on the verge of tears.

"Come here." Emily opened her arms to allow JJ to meld into them before continuing. "Is this about us? Would you rather we just go back to being friends?"

JJ tensed, "What? No, absolutely not," she responded meeting Emily's intense gaze. "I was downstairs walking around thinking about what you asked me last night. Why I've been single for practically ever. I know I skirted around the issue last night, and didn't do a much better job over lunch explaining it."

"I'm all ears. Did you want to talk now?"

"Yeah. if that's Ok. I may never have the courage to do so again." JJ replied, removing herself from the embrace to move to the bed. "You're probably going to want to make yourself comfortable. It might take awhile. I kind of need to get it all out and I'm pretty sure our relationship can't blossom if it's not out there." Emily nodded whilst walking to the bed, visibly unsure of where JJ wanted her. "Can we maybe swap the position we ended the night in last night? I kind of need to have you near me so I can leech some energy and strength from you."

"Of course." Emily responded while making her seating area comfortable. She eased onto the bed and positioned herself behind JJ, kicking her legs out to either side before requesting she lean back. Lacing their fingers together, she lazily draped on JJ's lap before continuing to speak, "comfortable, Jennifer?"

"Perfect, thanks." Taking a deep breath, "here we go."

"A little background. Before I moved out on my own, I lived with my mom and dad in East Allegheny, PA. The summer before ninth grade, our neighbors sold their house. Our new next door neighbors were a couple and their son. He had curly brown hair and a tiny waist and peach colored skin. Literally, he had skin the color of peaches and cream. That sounds ridiculous, but you would have had to see him to know what I mean. And he felt just as smooth. He had these green eyes that I can't even picture now because whenever I try, I get upset because the color doesn't even come close."

Emily just squeezed her hands lightly to show her encouragement.

"His name was Matthew. We started going together about a month after he moved next door to us. I had my doubts, but he seemed nice enough, like someone I could be with, and the thought of kissing him was a nice one. It was typical puppy love, young romance. The kind that makes you want to write angsty-teenage poetry or learn how to play the guitar. You think that your first love will be your only love. Instead of thinking about the fact that neither of us had ever had any kind of serious relationship before, or the fact that we were both only fourteen. I was thinking about the fact that he had brown curly hair that I liked to press my nose into when we cuddled because it smelled like apples. And I was thinking about his wicked smile; he had the most amazing smile. Every thing on his face lit up when he smiled."

"I'm still with you love. Take your time." Emily offered in support, feeling a little lost in this mute support role.

"We dated for about three and a half years. At that age, that's forever if you really think about it. He was my first every thing. My first boyfriend, my first kiss, my first love, my first fight, my first break-up, my first make-up, my first steady, my first double date, my first sleepover. He was the first person I had ever introduced as my boyfriend. He was the first person my mom ever invited out with her to do dumb things like shop or get her oil changed. He was the first person I ever made love to. He was the first _every thing_ and every one knew it." JJ continued starting to become a bit more emotional.

Emily readjusted herself to be able to pull JJ closer to her having an inclination as to where this conversation was heading but knowing she had to let JJ finish in her own time and her own way.

"It wasn't until about our third year that every thing started to go down hill. His mom left his dad and he took it personally. And he wanted me to take it personally too. He knew about my grandfather's untimely death, and he wanted me to tell him that it hurt me. When I would tell him that it would be Ok, he would stop speaking to me. Or he would cry and tell me I was a bitch because I didn't feel anything."

Emily placed her lips to the top of JJ's head unsure of what else to do, or what exactly to say, realizing this wasn't intended to be a happy story.

"Right after that, his dad started drinking. And Matt didn't have anywhere to go with his anger anymore. So he started taking it out on me. Then, he started drinking too; I guess if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. He would leave really drunken messages on my answering machine where my parents could hear. Or he would sneak into my window at night. He used to wake me up crying asking me to hold him. I was seventeen; I didn't know how to deal with that. I wanted to get away from it so much, but I loved him. He was the only person I had ever loved."

JJ continued before Emily could formulate a response. "We made it about six more months. He got to be incredibly possessive. He wanted to know where I was at all times. When his mom left, he was afraid everyone would leave. So he held on as tight as possible to every one he could, me especially. He would have his friends check up on me, or he would call my house to keep tabs. It got to the point where my sister wasn't answering the phone and was begging me to break up with him because she was afraid it was unhealthy for me. So I started spending less time with him. I would lie or have someone tell him I was busy if he called. I stayed away from places I knew he would be. I snuck in my back door so that he wouldn't know I was home. I think that in the back of my mind, I thought that if I gave it time, it would sort itself out. That if I waited it out, things would go back to the way they were. When we still kissed like Eskimos in front of school."

"You sure you want to keep going?" Emily asked.

"I need to. You probably don't understand why yet, but you will. Just listen, don't feel obligated to say the right thing. There is no right thing. Just being here is plenty." JJ responded before continuing.

"My friends wanted us to break up, too. They were tough girls who didn't understand why I put up with such a pain in the ass. They figured it had something to do with sex, but after a point they started to get frightened by it also. More than once, one of my friends referred to him as my 'crazy ass boyfriend.' It became and inside joke with us, my friends all called him Mad Matt; and I hated it. I just wanted it to be Ok. I wanted my boyfriend back. I wanted them to leave us alone, for him to be Ok, and for us to be happy again."

"I wish I hadn't felt so much pressure because maybe then I would have just talked to him. But I was young and I was scared and I didn't confront him. For about two weeks, I avoided him at all costs. Soon, he was seeking me out. He was calling me every hour, sometimes every half. And he was waiting for me outside of school wanting to know where I had been. Luckily my friends all walked me to my car so that I wouldn't have to fight with him in front of every one. He waited for me at soccer practice too, his car a constant fixture in the parking lot. He never said anything, just watched to see where I was and what I was doing. He was a joke, and it was a cruel one, but I didn't know what to do. Finally, I had all I could take."

"Around my eighteenth birthday, my parents were out of town and I was planning a big party. I was sitting with a friend in my room, trying to decide who to invite, when he asked me whether or not my boyfriend would be coming. It had been so long since I had even referred to him as that, that I shook my head and said 'no, I don't even think he's my boyfriend anymore.'"

JJ started wiping the tears from her eyes, and Emily helped with the strays that she failed to wipe up.

"Ok. I think I can continue. This is the hard part" she stated, taking a deep breath. Emily hugged her tightly and watched intently before asking if she should get up and get some Kleenex for the rest. "Yeah, I am probably going to need a few. Thanks." Emily got up and returned with some Kleenex before JJ continued.

"Like I was saying, I didn't think of him as my boyfriend anymore, but we lived next door to each other, and he knew what was going on. We had been together every birthday for the past three years. He showed up at the party crying hysterically. I was upstairs looking for a CD when one of my friends came into my room telling me that I needed to get a handle on my boy. I could hear him screaming my name even over the music. I was drunk and I was angry at him. I didn't even know him anymore. He wasn't my guy, he wasn't the one that I had kissed all of those times. He wasn't the one who had slept in my bed, he wasn't the one whose shoulders I had kissed while we slept. I went downstairs and dragged him towards my room, more to stop the embarrassment of having my friends see him than anything. But he kissed me and it was a sloppy drunken kiss and he tasted like cigarettes and too much cologne. I pushed him away. He kept crying the word no, even before I said anything. And all I said was I can't do this anymore."

JJ continued talking as though she was in a trance, "We fought back and forth for about 5 minutes. Him trying to convince me that we were in love and that I couldn't leave him. Obviously I don't remember most of the actual conversation, but I do remember how my head and stomach hurt. I just wanted him to get out of my room with his pictures still sitting on my desk and pinned to my tack boards. Us smiling. Us at prom. Us kissing. Us looking like complete strangers. He wiped his face on my t-shirt and left a Chapstick mark on the sleeve. I still have it in the back of my closet now, with the few pictures I've saved and a note or two. As he got more persistent with whatever he was trying to convince me of, I was brushing him off because I wanted him to stop crying, but only because I didn't want to comfort him. I was so tired of comforting him, of telling him things would be Ok, of knowing they weren't. I remember him telling me that he loved me, and I just kept shaking my head no, trying repeatedly to get his hands off of my chest. But he wouldn't let go. He just kept crying. And I was so angry at him. I was so fucking angry at him. At this point, I didn't even really want him to stop crying anymore, I just wanted him to get off of me, to get away from me. This was the guy I had made love to. He had been inside of me, a part of. And I just didn't want him touching me anymore. Do you see what I mean? Someone I was a part of, I wanted nothing to do with."

"Yeah baby, I do." Emily responded, even though she assumed it was a rhetorical question, kissing JJ's temple before handing her a Kleenex.

"I still remember the last words I ever said to him as if I had just spoken them: '_I don't love you. I never did. I don't even want to see you anymore. It's over Matt. This entire fucked up relationship you think we have? It's over. Get out of my god damn house.'_ And it wasn't a lie at the time, I really meant it. I didn't feel terrible saying it, because in my mind, I had never loved the person that he had become. He replied, but I didn't even really hear him say it. I did, but I was so drunk and so angry that it didn't even register as anything more than white noise."

"After that, I went back to my party. I didn't see him leave. The last time I saw him, he was sitting on my bedroom carpet curled up at the end of my bed, crying into my comforter. He was wearing a green t-shirt and blue jeans and I thought I never wanted to see him again."

"I didn't find out until two days later. My mom screamed from downstairs and my dad beat me to her. When I got to the kitchen that looked out onto Matt's front lawn, my dad grabbed my shoulders and forced me out of the room. I was more confused than concerned, even after I pushed my way back in and to the window. I didn't put it together. Ambulance, crying, black bag, more crying, my mom rubbing my shoulders. over and over and over again. I don't remember much after that. I'm told the only question I asked was why was it so quiet? It was so god damn quiet then, and it has been ever since. There was a funeral, but I didn't go. They said he had accidentally ingested an overdose of prescription pills, I think every one actually thought maybe it was an accident. That he really had intended to only go to sleep for a while. I think I even thought he did. But he left a note; accidents don't leave goodbye letters. I never read it. I wanted to, but my parent's wouldn't let me; they said it would hurt too much. I got the gist of it though, from a friend of mine who knew his dad. Basically he was sorry and he missed me, and everything had fallen apart. It wasn't an accident, and from what he said, it wasn't my fault."

"His father brought me some of his things that he thought I might like to have. Some pictures and a teddy bear I had given him when we first started dating, dried roses, and a CD I had made for his car. I didn't look at them; I just boxed them up like I did my feelings. I think my mom might still have it in her basement somewhere."

"Everyone was really sorry. They kept telling me it wasn't my fault, but for years I blamed myself. If I hadn't said what I did, if I had actually talked to him, if I had actually listened to him; it wouldn't have happened. Or if I hadn't been so involved in the first place, if I had listened to my doubts in the first place and never dated him, he would probably still be alive."

"Oh baby, you can't think like that, you have to know that what happened to Matt was not your fault." Emily interrupted.

JJ continued without responding to Em, "About two month after that, I graduated and moved to go to school. I left, and I really didn't have anything to leave behind. I just packed up and moved off and started at Pitt, then I joined the Academy. It was nice to be some place where nobody knew or asked any questions. And it worked, for a while. I dated on and off but it always ended up with the guy or girl getting hurt and leaving. I think I liked it that way, it was easier."

"And then you came along. I didn't expect to fall for you, and I sure as hell didn't expect you to fall for me. You got inside of me. You got to know me without even trying, and I got attached. I don't know when, but I started really caring for someone again and it scared the hell out of me. What if you cared back? What if it ended up like before? What if I ruin you too? And it's still like that. What if I hurt you too, Emily? What if I let you down? I couldn't take that again. I don't want to hurt anyone like that again, so I push away. If you can't get close, you can't get hurt. It's as simple as that. So I forced myself to get over you when you told me to go for Will. That was two years ago. Emily, I don't want to push you away. And I don't want to hurt you either."

"First of all Jennifer, Matt and I are completely different people. You understand me? You're not going to hurt me. You need to understand that what happened to him was no one's fault but his own, Ok? I'm a strong person, and I can be strong for you right now, but you need to put more faith in yourself and in me. You're not going to break me, or ruin me, or destroy my life. You got it?" Emily tried to voice her response compassionately enough to not be hurtful, but also stern enough to realize she wasn't scared.

"Yeah, I understand. Thank you for listening. I needed it. I think we needed it. It's a hard thing to carry alone." JJ confided.

"I know it is Jenn; you don't have to do anything alone anymore." Emily soothed.


	8. Rough

Disclaimer: I still don't own Criminal Minds and because of that, JJ and Emily still haven't hooked up.

JJ spent the rest of the evening relaxing with her back to Emily's front, while Emily leaned against the headboard; both occasionally glancing at the television, but not exactly watching anything important. The two new lovers were simply enjoying their new found closeness. Emily ran her fingers through JJ's hair contentedly, until JJ turned her head at what appeared to be a violently uncomfortable angle; chocolate brown eyes locked on her crystal blues to confirm she was paying attention.

"Do you think we need to have a talk?" After starting her question, she returned her head back to a more comfortable position, "I mean, what are we going to do? We should probably try to be on the same page, don't you think?" JJ rattled off a few questions rather quickly. It was clear she'd been thinking about this for awhile now.

"Sure, we can talk. What do you want to do? I was kind of hoping it would be just us for a little while, without the prying eyes and ears of outsiders, the bureau included. I'm not opposed to telling them, I just want us to have some history and proof that we won't let this interfere with our professional conduct. As for what we're going to do. We're going to take this a day at a time." Emily replied in a calculated, well-rehearsed manner appearing to address all posed questions.

"I think that sounds good. It's probably going to take some adjustments on both of our parts knowing the other may be in danger, may fit the victimology, may just be working with another team member on something particularly dangerous, you know?"

"Yes, I know where you're coming from. It's just going to take some time for both of us to adjust. Was there anything else we needed to touch on?" Emily questioned, wanting to make sure they had covered everything.

"Maybe. What if you and I have plans and Pen or Morgan wants us to go have drinks with them. It's out of the norm for one of us to have plans, much less both of us." JJ queried, assuming this was a plausible situation.

"Well, Pen knows, we could tell her the truth, right? But Morgan, I don't know. He already thinks I got my brains fucked out the other day. I could just tell him I have a date. I'm guessing he won't question it. It's a lot easier to come up with an excuse when you only have to cover for yourself, right?"

"True. I hate that you get out of this particular situation so easily." JJ stated, feigning indignation.

"Oh, you poor baby." Emily laughed, "I think you'll get over it," she continued, winking. "Is there anything else you wanted to discuss?"

"Not exactly. There is someone I want you to meet though. I used to tell her about you a few years ago. I know that we just started dating, literally today, but I feel obligated to share it with her. I think she'd be hurt if I kept it a secret. What do you think?" JJ posed her question, hoping Emily would be open to the idea.

"I'm not quite sure who you're talking about. If it's your mother, I'm not really ready to meet the parents, but I'll meet anyone else." Emily answered truthfully, fairly certain JJ hadn't expected her to go and meet her mother immediately anyway.

"No, my sister. I think I failed to mention that. Anyway, she's two years younger than me, works out of the FBI field office in Boston, kinda geeky like you. You should like her. What do you say?"

"I'd say, give her a call. Let her know I look forward to meeting her so we can team up on you. Geeks rule." Emily agreed, attempting to turn JJ's head to give her a kiss, but was instead met with a wince of pain. "You know, I could help you with that." Emily stated with a slight hint of flirtation and desire in her voice.

"Thank you. I'd appreciate that." JJ mustered, unsure how her body would react with having Emily's hands on her.

Emily began to knead the knots loose from JJ's tense neck and shoulders; some areas requiring a little extra force than she'd typically use on a lover.

JJ gasped slightly, "Ow, do you have to be so rough?"

Emily leaned forward, whispering into the blonde's ear, "from what I've heard through Pen," dropping a hand to run teasingly down her spine, "there was a time when you actually liked things a little rough."

"Oh god," JJ's cried out, body shivering at the contact and direction Emily was moving this evening. She couldn't force herself to respond with any additional words; instead she found herself leaning into the touch, silently begging for a little more.

Emily, seeing that she wasn't against this contact, continued whispering huskily, "You remember, those times, don't you?"

JJ closed her eyes and gasped in pleasure at the sensations running along her skin and within her belly. Part of her desire stemmed from knowing she hadn't been touched like this: so slowly, and sensually, in longer than she cared to admit. The other part knowing it was because she had fantasized about this woman long ago, and was finally getting to experience her; even if its just a small dose.

Emily continued to massage JJ's neck, purposely breathing her hot breath against her neck and ear. Several methodical breaths later, Emily rasped, "What are you thinking about, Jennifer?"

Opting for honesty, "It's been so long since I've been touched like this," pausing to close her eyes and relish the feel of Emily's hands on her body, "I'm not gonna make it if you keep teasing down my sides, and touching my boobs like that."

Emily continued to tease down her blonde lover's sides for several more minutes, periodically moving to cup JJ's breasts in her hands, pinching both nipples before returning her hands to their original position. While lightly squeezing JJ's breasts again, there was a knock at the door instantly stopping all movement. JJ muttered vehemently, loud enough for herself and Emily to hear, "You have got to be fucking kidding me." Throwing her head back. "Just my luck, someone finally wants to touch me. IS touching me, and there's a knock on the door. I don't know who it is, but I assure you, I hate them." Internally sighing, _I've waited over 2 years for this, what's 1 more day, right?_

Chuckling at the tantrum taking place in her arms, "You done?" When JJ nodded, Emily removed herself from the entanglement of limbs, pausing to lean down and whisper. "You know what? Angry, sexually-frustrated girlfriend is so much hotter than jealous girlfriend." After dropping a quick kiss to JJ's lips, she proceeded to answer the knock.

It was Derek just coming to chat since there wasn't anything interesting on television. He hung out for about 30 minutes, making small talk, completely oblivious to what he had interrupted. After he left, two lovers opted to just fall into sleep together.

Morning rolled around, and the storm finally subsided. By the time the team was gathered and ready in the lobby, the parking lot and highways had been cleared of snow. Two more uneventful days had passed with relatively no progress before their unsub made a failed attempt at grabbing his fifth victim. She quickly called the police and described the vehicle her attacker had driven away in. They were able to track him down and pin the 4 kidnappings and subsequent murders onto him late in the day on Thursday.

The team headed back to Virginia on Friday morning and worked diligently attempting to catch up on individual profile assessments and other paperwork until around 4:30. All of the team members were hanging around in the bullpen when Morgan asked if anyone wanted to go grab a drink.

"I have plans." Spencer stated, but was greeted by disbelieving stares from his team members. "Ok, I'm expecting a package; I ordered several books and I want to read them, so I can't." Morgan laughed and thought to himself, _I'd expect nothing less of you kid._

"Garcia? What about you?" He asked knowing she was always up for a drink.

"Did you even have to ask, my chocolate God? Of course I'm up for a few drinks." She announced giddily.

Moving on to Emily, "Prentiss? I know you don't have a life, so how about it? Drinks?"

She cast a quick look to JJ before responding, "actually, I have a date tonight, so count me out."

"A date? You don't date. When did you go and get all sappy 'I'm-in-a-relationship' on me?" He asked Emily, then proceeded to ask the rest of the group, "do any of you know anything about this?" JJ and Garcia shrugged their shoulders. He knew he didn't really need a response from Spencer, of course he knew nothing about it.

"Yeah, a date. Jerk. And now if you'll excuse me I have to get going. I don't want to be late." She smiled as she backed out of the group, "have a nice weekend everyone. I hope to not see you guys again until Monday."

Finally he turned his attention to his last hope for another drink guest, "What about you JJ? Want to join Pen and I for a few drinks?"

"Actually Morgan, I can't. My sister was talking about coming for the weekend, so I need to call her and let her know I'm home. See what our plans are. Maybe some other time." JJ replied, knowing her sister wasn't coming but not ready to give away that she had a date, with Emily, to look forward to.

"Looks like it's just me and you then gorgeous. You ready?" Morgan asked of Penelope before walking with her outside.

* * *

**A/N 1:** I hate the end to this chapter. I have decided I'm not going to write anything about cases ever again, but I still had to at least get them back to Virginia. They're just going to be in certain cities, but anything I write is going to primarily off the clock, or on the clock but absolutely not work related banter. You already know what they do, I just want to tell you about what you can't see on the actual show. If that's a problem, then so long!

**A/N 2:** I think I'm actually ready to go with a rating of M, whether it be on this story or just starting a whole new one. I'd prefer to just change this one, but I don't really want to mislead anyone who isn't kosher with me switching from T to M, so if that's you then let me know and I'll make a decision based on how many people I might make angry.


	9. Banana Leaves

Disclaimer: You know how it is. Criminal Minds doesn't belong to me. I don't own the restaurant Banana Leaves either, but it is a real place in Washington, D.C.

**A/N:** I decided that I'm going to change the whole story to M and update the description after I start/finish writing Chapter 10. But of course, I'm cool enough to remind you guys of that again... whenever I update next. As for now, it's gorgeous outside so I'll do some brainstorming while I'm enjoying one of the few 65 degree days we'll have this summer. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

* * *

Emily decided to head home to shower quickly before heading over to JJ's place for dinner. Not knowing for sure whether or not she'd spend the night, she figured she better repack her go bag, just in case. Who knows, they may get called away again while she's there without time to get back home. It was an excuse that left her hopeful she'd be sleeping over.

She arrived at JJ's house shortly after 7 pm; choosing to sit in the driveway for a few minutes, allowing herself adequate time to compose herself and shake off any unnecessary nervousness. A short time later, Emily opened the door and started walking towards the front door, talking to herself along the way giving quiet encouragement. "_It's just JJ. Just knock on the door. Stop acting like it's some one night stand, Prentiss. Who am I kidding? I wouldn't be this nervous if it was a one night stand. I can do this. I can do this._" Upon reaching the front door, she knocked and waited patiently for her favorite blonde to appear.

"Hey," JJ greeted.

"Hey yourself," Emily responded, only slightly awkward.

JJ waved her in, giving her a kiss as she stepped closer. "I missed you," she continued with a sly wink.

"Oh, you did huh? I know it's extraordinarily difficult to be away from me for 2 hours. I have that effect on people." Emily replied cockily shedding some of her nervousness.

"Wow, vain much?" JJ chuckled at the playful arrogance exuding from _her_ brunette.

"Only a little. So what kind of food are you in the mood for tonight? I'm famished; my girlfriend doesn't feed me, so I need to eat. That's a fact."

"Well, listen to you." Taking the opportunity to insert her own wit, JJ continued, "When my girlfriend gets back, can you let her know I'm headed to the living room to peruse take-out menus?" With that, JJ walked away into the other room.

"Ok, Ok, you got me. So, I was kind of craving some Chinese food. That work for you?" Emily replied in her normal, easy-flowing tone while walking from the foyer into the living room.

"Yeah, sounds great. Pen says there's a new Asian/Chinese/Japanese place called Banana Leaves with to die for spicy tuna and masago rolls," meeting Emily's disgusted frown, JJ carried on, "I took the liberty of looking at the menu. They have sautéed orange chicken, which I know you love, so you can stop looking at me with such a horrific expression."

"But, but, but I want to kiss those lips later, and you're about to stick masago in your mouth?" visibly shuddering at the thought of it.

"Is it really that appalling to you?" JJ asked incredulously.

"Just a little, actually a lot. The thought of that is a lot appalling. Dress it up however you want, give it a fancy name, whatever, it's still caviar, and it's still… yuck." Emily paused, "but I digress, let's order from there, you can get your stinky caviar tuna rolls, and I'll get orange chicken and maybe some of this mango coconut sticky rice. That sounds pretty good." Emily ranted pointing down at the menu.

"You'd really not kiss me because I ate caviar? What are you, a second grader? God, sometimes you can be so immature."

"Nah, I'd still kiss you. I can't get enough of your lips." Emily briefly captured JJ's before continuing, "I needed that, just in case you decide to hold out on me now until after you eat," throwing a wink toward the younger agent, and laughing. "I'm just playing baby, stop looking around for your gun. I don't mind the flavor; it's the texture that tries to engage my gag reflexes," Emily exclaimed shuddering once again.

"You, Emily Prentiss, were about to be in so much trouble if you said yes. For someone with such a voracious appetite, I would have expected you to like everything. Who knows, maybe with the tuna and onions, you could actually like them."

"Yeah, um, not a chance. So, did you want me to call and place the order?" Emily asked politely.

"No way. You would simply _forget_ to order my dinner. I know how you think, Prentiss. I can take care of it."

JJ phoned in the order and was informed it'd be delivered in about 30 to 35 minutes. Her and Emily decided to find something on television to watch. Discerning that Friday night primetime television is virtually non-existent, Emily started flipping through channels before deciding to scan through the contents of JJ's DVR.

"So let's see what you have stored on here, shall we? I'm intrigued to find out what you like to watch when you're relaxing at home."

"Don't you dare profile me based on my television selections. You will certainly be in trouble then."

"Keep threatening baby, some day you're going to have to follow through. Until then, I think I'll take my chances." Upon seeing that JJ wasn't upset with her, she moved on, "so, FlashForward, not my favorite but I can see you getting into it. That show makes me want to transfer to the Los Angeles field office… they're never doing paperwork. One can dream, right? Forensic Files, eh? Seen it a few times. Hopefully you don't save those ones to watch over and over again. Oh, here we go, Grandma's Boy. Really? And you said you weren't a geek."

"What's that supposed to mean?" JJ wondered with a furrowed brow.

"It just surprises me is all. It's a humorous flick, but only to certain people; typically overly nerdy individuals and you never struck me as the type to watch this sort of movie." Presenting her rebuttal hoping to circumvent making JJ angry by inadvertently profiling her.

"You're right. My sister added it. I tried watching it with her a few times. I just don't get it, but I think she laughs more now when she watches it than when she did the first time."

"Maybe you and I can watch it together some time. I own it; must have seen it at least 50 times, so I'll explain it to you." Emily offered before continuing her perusal, "Grey's Anatomy. So typical, but I save it too in case we're out on a case. I love me some Dr. Bailey."

"You have the hots for Dr. Bailey?" JJ interrupted.

"That's not at all what I said. She's a riot. Come on, you have to agree." Seeing that there was no argument, she continued scanning through, "Ah, Law & Order: SVU, also very typical except you don't have all of season 11, just certain episodes. What's that about? Already watched them?"

"Um, no. For your information, I like the ones with Alex and Olivia interactions, so if Alex isn't in an episode then I watch it and delete it. They'd be kind of hot together. Don't you think?" JJ countered with a devilish smirk.

"More like out of this worldly hot together." Emily continued scrolling through, "Now this one is new to me. The Life and Times of Tim. You have, like, wow, there must be 40 episodes here. What the hell is it?" Emily asked clearly unsure what the show was about.

"Oh my god, you've never seen it? It's hilarious. I'd say that we should watch it, but you're already kind of mouthy tonight, I'd hate to have to you picking up a thing or two from him."

"Well maybe you could give me something else to do with my mouth. Just a thought," Emily added mischievously.

"Lucky for you, I find this ostentatious side of you to be incredibly hot." Pushing Emily back against the sofa, JJ leaned herself over Emily's front, balancing herself with her left hand to cup her lover's face with her right. She pressed their lips together for a fleeting moment before asking, "is this what you had in mind?"

After pulling JJ to a straddling position over her waist, she expressed her thoughts, "This is more of what I had in mind." Emily moved her lips to greet JJ's only to have her appear entirely out of her element and uncomfortably trying to squeeze her legs together. "What's the matter baby? Was I too rough when I pulled you over me?" JJ didn't respond, "I'm really sorry. I just kind of thought you'd enjoy it. Here, let me just get out from…"

JJ silenced Emily's words and attempted movements with a brief kiss before speaking, "No, trust me baby. It's not any of that. I wasn't kidding when I said that this side of you is hot. So hot. And here you are, right underneath me, looking gorgeous, and your perfume is driving me absolutely fucking wild. I'm so ready to be with you. You turn me on in ways I never knew a person could, although it might be obvious given how I'm positioned. I also know the deliveryman will be here relatively soon and when I start touching you I have no intention of stopping."

"Oh, I like the sound of that," Emily acknowledged. "I hadn't even thought about being interrupted. I'd hate for that too. I was just so focused on you and how I want to put my lips all over your sexy little body Jennifer."

"Oh God," JJ husked into Emily's ear, "when you say things like that it makes me want to come, but we need to stop at least until a little later when there's no planned interruptions."


	10. Dirty Dishes

Disclaimer: You know the deal. Criminal Minds doesn't belong to me. If it did, you'd all lead a slightly happier day-to-day life.

**A/N 1:** The story is now rated M, so if you're a new reader, then I'm sure you got that already. If you've been following the story and don't read author's notes, well then you still won't know until it slaps you in the face. However, you have been warned.

**A/N 2:** I'm not sure how I feel about this story. It doesn't do anything for me, but that may be because I wrote it. Hopefully a few of you enjoy it more than I did/do.

* * *

"Are you sure that you don't want one of these tuna masago rolls? There's only 1 left." JJ offered for the fourth time attempting to get a rise out of her.

"Yeah, I'm sure. Trust me; I'm doing you a favor by not eating them. After all, you don't want to be cleaning up vomit, do you?" Emily challenged.

"Wow, I mean, that was so sexy I almost want to take you right here." JJ replied, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"That's too bad. I'm still eating," Emily dared, stabbing another piece of chicken before raising it to her mouth even though she wasn't hungry anymore. "See?"

"Yeah, I see. When you're done, would you mind bringing those containers and your dishes to the kitchen?" JJ asked rather domestically.

"I'm done now actually." Emily stated, mouth still half-full of food.

Emily walked to the kitchen and threw her take-out containers into the trash. '_I always put them in the fridge at home with the intention of eating it later, but I never do. What a disgusting mess after a few weeks away on cases. There's no sense in making her do later what I can do now.'_

JJ stood over her sink beginning to wash the few dishes they used over dinner.

"Did you want me to rinse and dry these as you wash them?" Emily asked, not really sure what to do.

"No that's Ok, I'll get it, just make yourself comfortable."

With the invitation to _make herself comfortable_, Emily swept the blonde hair falling down JJ's back over her left shoulder before pressing her lips to the nape of her neck.

"Mmm, and what exactly do you think you are doing? I need to get these dishes washed." JJ asked and stated amorously.

"No you don't. I think you're just a little nervous and trying to keep yourself occupied." Emily moved her head to JJ's shoulder, placing her arms around the blonde from behind; grasping her firm breasts, massaging them gently, teasingly. "Am I right?"

'_I don't think she has any idea how much I love what she's doing. Hell, who am I kidding, of course she knows. God I hope no one interrupts this. MMM, after a few interruptions the past few days, all I want are those fingers so far inside of me that I memorize everything they touch._' JJ set the dish that she was currently washing back down into the water, resting her wet hands on the lip of the counter top, unable to locate a dry towel nearby.

"God baby, that feels so good."

"You do know that you are allowed to touch me too, right?"

"I know, but my hands are wet. And I don't have a towel. And I don't want to move to find one. Not with the way your body is pressed against my back, my ass, your hands clutching my boobs. It's all so…" JJ took an unsteady breath, "It's all so fucking hot."

Emily moved her lips to JJ's ears, whispering seductively "Yeah, it is kind of hot, isn't it? In case you were wondering, I'm wet too. Maybe not my hands, but just put yours wherever you want them. They'll dry."

The older agent snaked a hand down JJ's midsection to the juncture of her thighs, cupping it for several moments, catching her zipper along the way, grinding against her from behind. "How wet are you right now?" Tantalizingly slow, she dragged her hand back up over JJ's tummy, leaving her dress slacks unclasped and shirt fully unbuttoned. "Because it felt to me like you might be enjoying this."

"You're right, I might be. You're welcome to see for yourself just how wet you make me." JJ strained, wanting to take matters into her own hands and give herself a release quickly.

Sucking on JJ's earlobe, she continued, "no, not yet. I just might come if I feel how wet you are; and tonight is about me making love to you. After we're through tonight, I want you to see my hands and my fingers when we're at work, while you're in a room full of people, detectives, the media, whomever and think about what they feel like when inside you."

"Ahh Christ, I can't fucking wait." JJ wrapped her arms around the brunette's back, fumbling with the fabric of her shirt trying to grasp her ass to pull it into her, increasing their contact.

Not satisfied with the level of contact being received, JJ turned herself around in Emily's arms discarding her haphazardly strewn shirt. Emily wrapped a skillful arm around her lovers' back and unclasped her bra; ridding her of it with a tug of the silky fabric.

"Wow, you are so beautiful." Emily stated affectionately before tangling her fingers in blonde hair, pulling slightly to raise her face up. Her kiss was hot, wet, and demanding; intimate in a way that left no doubt in either of their minds how badly she wanted JJ.

JJ feverishly unbuttoned Emily's shirt longing for additional contact. Pushing the shirt down Emily's shoulders, she whispered "I need you to take it off," causing a brief loss of contact to allow her arms out. "That too," she instructed before reaching around and unclasping the bra herself. She ran her hands over Emily's bare breasts, "much better."

Emily returned her hands to their previous position, stroking the swell of JJ's breasts; rocking their pelvises together, causing JJ to shove her breasts forward, nearly out of her mind with desire. Emily moved her hands slightly lower until her fingers grazed hardened nipples, leaving a trail of heat wherever she touched.

JJ's eyes fluttered closed after meeting the intense, hungry expression that she knew mirrored her own.

"Kiss me. I need to feel some part of you inside of me." JJ rasped. Her nipples were aching to be tugged, pinched; but Emily was refusing to give her the satisfaction she was coveting. JJ moaned longingly, as her barely controlled arousal flared and her pulse raced.

Emily smiled then kissed JJ again and again, always deeply but alternating between rough and soft, her tongue shoving its way down her throat, as though searching for something or lightly prodding the roof of her mouth and the backs of her teeth. The pain disappeared as Emily pressed herself against the blonde, hips craving each other, JJ's body trying to find as much contact as it could. She started to wish that Emily would just rip her pants off and fuck her senseless right now.

"As hot as this is," JJ started, inhaling short breaths, undoing Emily's pants in the process, "we need a bed so I can touch you more." She paused again, "I don't trust my legs to keep me standing with what you're doing to me."

"Ok," Emily responded before pushing JJ's pants down to the floor, as well as kicking hers off. "Wrap your legs around me."

JJ did as instructed and leaned herself more onto the counter to throw her arms and legs around Emily.

Emily locked her hands underneath JJ's ass ensuring she was secure before taking short strides to the bedroom. Once through the bedroom door and on one side of the bed, she raised a knee to rest on the bed before leaning against a bedpost to raise her other knee to the bed. She gave herself a little push off of the post to steady herself before lowering herself and JJ down.

Emily propped herself up to gaze down at her slightly flushed lover. She planned on taking her time, realizing this moment seeming too good to be true. It was like that moment when Christmas Day finally arrives, and all your gifts are in front of you, waiting to be ravaged. And then when you've looked and savored for long enough, absolutely not able to stand it anymore, you dig right in.

That's how this moment was: the bliss, the ecstasy. Emily looked down into JJ's eyes, hints of grins tugging at both of their lips. Emily spoke before diving in. "I love you Jennifer Jareau. I am so in-love with you."

"I love you too baby." JJ admitted.

Both sets of eyes searching each other for silent confirmation. In that moment, JJ wrapped her arms Emily's neck, pulling her down, pushing her tongue into the brunette's mouth. Emily pressed herself against JJ until there wasn't an inch to spare, pelvis to pelvis, stomach to stomach, chest to chest. Their hips melding into a perfect complementary shape, fused by sweat and desire.

She was starting to pant and didn't utter a word as Emily started to kiss her all over. Her tongue and lips and teeth, dragging and scraping across JJ's soft skin. The gesture, while wet and rough, caused JJ to moaned loudly, her body stretching itself out  
underneath Emily.

"I need to feel you inside of me."

"I thought you'd never ask," Emily breathed hotly, before lifting herself off of her lover long enough to grasp the top of her panties, "up" she instructed, indicating for JJ to raise her hips then proceeded to pull them down over her feet, dropping them somewhere nearby.

With her left hand, she first took JJ's right arm, then the left lifting them over head, placing them down on the pillow atop the bed. Holding them in place with her right hand, she leaned down and kissed JJ whispering, "sorry baby, but you don't get to touch this time." She took her left hand and ran her index finger from JJ's forehead, lingering slightly on her lips, dipping momentarily into her mouth before continuing slowly down her neck, between her breasts, resting endlessly on her stomach before making her way between the blonde's legs and to the deep wetness of her pussy.

"Mmm, you're so wet."

"Oh god, I know. Make love to me baby. Make me come. I need you." JJ implored spreading her legs a little wider.

Teasing, tormenting, she ran her fingers along the outside of JJ's pussy and around her clit. Just enough to send blood rushing to the surface, but not enough to bring any kind of release. JJ moaned, pleading for Emily to press harder.

Emily smiled and continued her cavort, right hand still pressing her wrists into the pillow. Her left index finger flitting about, barely dipping inside before skirting the edges of everything.

JJ's hips were twisting every which way in an attempt to somehow force Emily's finger, preferably more than one, inside. Emily complied, sending several fingers inward. JJ lay back, legs spread wide, wrists inactive, allowing her lover to do her work.

Fingers worked in, deep, curling up just enough to send shivers to her g-spot and blood to JJ's clit. Eyes closed, JJ let the sensations from that one small part of her body consume the rest of her. Harder, faster, Emily pressed in and out; then just when JJ felt she couldn't get any wetter, she shoved her fingers inside, leaving them there.

Emily moved her thumb in small perfect circles along JJ's throbbing clit. That was all it took for JJ to feel her orgasm building, but still unable to move. She lay there feeling each pore of her body filling with sensation; the tingling was all-consuming.

Just at the edge of coming, when every cell had grown tight with tension and desire, when her hips were thrust against Emily fingers, when her clit almost pained as it ached for each glancing touch of her circling thumb; Emily stopped, reading the imminent orgasm signals for what they were and withdrew her hand.

"Oh god, don't fucking stop. Give it to me," JJ appealed.

Not complying, Emily instead ran her wet fingers back up her lover's body, forming rings of wetness around her nipples and chest before slipping them into JJ's mouth. She licked them, tasting herself, knowing the gentle pressure of her tongue was sending similar jolts of electricity through Emily's body.

Emily leaned down to run her tongue along the lower lip of her lover, skirting her fingers back down to JJ's waiting pussy. The moment Emily's finger came into contact with the wet heat, she let out a slow breath. JJ, taking this as encouragement shoved her hips at the fingers inside her, and Emily responded by shoving her fingers in and out, again and again, deeper and harder with each ensuing thrust.

"Come on baby," Emily coaxed. "Let yourself go. Come for me."

She had been so needy, so ready; all it took were her few words of encouragement and she felt everything inside of her burn with liquid heat. She bit down on Emily's neck to keep from crying out as she came; her body rigid. Emily continued to thrust against her, pushing her higher. They rode out her orgasm together until the sensations subsided and Emily cradled her lover to her chest.


	11. Interruptions

Disclaimer: You know the deal. Criminal Minds doesn't belong to me. If it did, you'd all lead a slightly happier day-to-day life.

This is written with a point of view emphasis. It seems so unnatural to be written another way. This chapter is actually the original thought I had in my head when I began this story because it's a topic I never see. It's not really supposed to be hot, just realistic.

* * *

Emily's POV

_'JJ fell into a peaceful slumber shortly after I got her off... It was still early, relatively speaking. The clock had brazenly displayed 10:42 pm, but that was over 2 hours ago. Glancing at the clock now, it's almost 1 am.'_

'_Well, this is certainly a first for me. I've never actually considering masturbating with someone else in bed with me; but here I am, clad in just my panties wanting to calm this ache deep inside of me. I can't sleep, that much is obvious. What else is there to do, really?'_

'_Great, I've successfully pulled myself out from the web of body parts I was entangled in.'_

I remove my panties for the sake of easy access. I leaned back against the headboard; eyes closed, and slipped my left hand between my legs. Oh God, I'm so wet, aching from the past several hours. I know it won't take me long at all.

I alternate between pushing my fingers inside, feeling them fill me up, curving my hips against them until I hit my g-spot with my forefinger; and running them in tight circles against my clit. In and out, in and out, around and around, that's the routine.

I'm getting so into it, forgetting about JJ sleeping right next to me. Now I'm completely absorbed in my motions, lost in the rhythm of my fingers and the sensation of the steadily increasing heat.

I take my other hand and grab my right breast with it, fingers gripped tight around the nipple, pulling and pinching until it's as hard as my clit; tingling and hardening from my touch. I can feel the pressure building inside of me.

'_Wait, are those lips I feel?'_

I open my eyes to see JJ lips attached to my nipple. Her left hand covering my left that is currently circling my clit. I close my eyes again and continue drawing circles. There's no sense in being embarrassed about it at this point. She's caught me, I can't very well lie to her and say it isn't happening.

She breaks the silence, "Mind if I take over?"

"You can if you want to," I reply. She stills my hand not allowing me to do anything more before removing it completely and capturing my fingers in her mouth. She's sucking them hungrily like she can't wait to taste the source.

Now she's tugging and sucking on my left nipple, causing me to gasp before moving to the other one. The other nipple is getting so hard between her lips; I can feel her teeth slightly. The added pressure just adds to my arousal.

She's sitting back now, just watching; taking me in. It's driving me wild to be the fixture of such an intense look. I feel shameless now and spread my legs for her, telling her "I'm so wet," it's a whisper, but still audible. "You do that to me, Jennifer. You make me so wet."

As if she needs to feel it for it to become fact, she runs her thumb from my slippery opening up to the hardened nub of my clit. Her movements along my pussy make me moan and arch my back, aching for release.

"Open your eyes," she commands suggestively, "Watch me get you off."

My eyes are wide now, meeting her steady gaze before moving lower to watch her hands move between my thighs. She's slid her fingers inside me while keeping her thumb on my clit, stroking in and out.

"Watch me," she states again, "I want to see your eyes when you come."

I meet her gaze while she works in and out of my pussy. Orgasm washes over me and I bite my bottom lip to keep from screaming, but I never look away from his face. I came on her fingers, came hard and long as she stroked my dripping wet pussy. She stared at my face, not between my legs, watching me come for her as she coaxed these sensations from my body.

She climbs up next to me and kisses me before looking in my eyes again and stating, "I love you Emily."

I reply, "I love you too Jennifer." And it's true. I do love her.

She asks the question I knew would come, "I'm sorry for falling asleep. Why didn't you wake me up?"

I reply honestly, because there's no reason to lie about it. "We need to take our sleep where we can get it. All I wanted after tonight started was to satisfy you. I know I've worked you up four days in a row only to be continually interrupted and I wanted you to have some special attention."

I guess that's good enough for her, because she smiles and thanks me. She kisses me again before turning out the bed-side lamp to go to sleep.


	12. Mark Your Territory

Disclaimer: Criminal Minds you say? No, it's not mine. Sorry.

JJ's POV

After the late night festivities, I fell back to sleep rather hastily. I open my eyes the following morning to see Emily's loving, chocolate orbs gazing down at me. Her head is sitting on her left hand, propping her up and she's smiling at me suspiciously.

"Good morning, love." She says to me.

"Good morning to you too. Why are you looking at me like that, and acting like such a creeper?" I ask, playfully.

"A creeper, huh?" She bites back equally as playfully, rolling herself on top of me before continuing. "If I" she kisses me, "were a creeper_," another kiss_, "I would," _another kiss_, "not be," _kiss_ "in your bed," _kiss_ " because I" _another kiss_ "would be," _another kiss, _her smile clearly evident, "outside that window," she says pointing to the window, _kissing me again_, "watching you." She states before quickly extricating herself from my arms and standing on the floor. "Now that's a creeper. Me? Not so much."

"Where do you think you're going?" I ask; a little disgruntled.

"You slept half of the day away; its 12:17 pm and we're having lunch with Garcia at 1, or did you forget?" She says to me and I immediately jump up out of bed, naked. I suddenly feel exposed at the thought of someone possibly being outside my window and grab the heather grey Pitt t-shirt nearby, putting it on. She's giggling at me and I don't really know why.

"See, you got that creeper look back in your eye. I bet you're gonna watch me in the shower, aren't you? Oh shit, do I even have time to shower? Where are we meeting? How much time do I have?" I ask quickly, while trying to find something to wear for the day.

"Relax. I already called Garcia and told her we'd be running a little late." She says to me, lovingly.

"Thanks." I reply and take a deep breath.

"Oh, don't thank me yet." She says mischievously, "because I called her and knew you were asleep, she put it together that I slept over. I'm pretty sure she knows we had sex… actually I know she knows because she asked me. I couldn't exactly lie to her, so I told her. Not any details… that's your job." She says to me, relaxing against the door frame to my bedroom waiting patiently for her words to sink in.

My jaw just drops a little bit. What is there to say, really? And because she's waiting for a reply, I don't want to give her that satisfaction, so I stand there, dumbly.

She gets it and speaks up, "Am I in trouble yet?" She's still smiling though; unfazed by either answer I can possibly give her.

Instead of responding, I walk over to the door frame and lean on it next to her before resting my hand on her chest. That's when I notice it. The teeth marks I left on her neck in the throes of passion the night before. It looks like it hurts and it's a little bruised. The reminder brings a smile to my face.

"No, you're not in trouble; although I have a sneaking suspicion that you were hoping to be, but wow, the best friend we have outside of us knows we had sex last night." I say aloud, as though it's finally sinking in that I can't avoid this discussion. "I don't have time to be mad at you. And besides, you're not going to get out of this as easily as we first thought."

Emily looks at me, rather puzzled, mouthing her response. Her brow is furrowed and it appears as though the words are caught on the tip of her tongue.

_Clearly she has no idea, but if the tables were turned, I know, I KNOW she wouldn't tell me. Two can play this game_, I think to myself. "Well, you'll see. I mean, after all it is Penelope." I say, not showing my hand.

"True, but I'm a private person. She won't ask me much." I almost feel guilty now. She is a relatively private person, but people are bound to see. That thing isn't going away by Monday. I smile internally, silently planning my Monday morning for her arrival. I plan to be perched in the bullpen when Derek notices.

"I better get in the shower." I say, before giving her a kiss and retreating.

She calls out to me lightheartedly, "You. Mouthwash. Toothbrush. Toothpaste. Deal?"

I turn around and furrow my brow in mock annoyance at her, "You're asking for it Prentiss."

She simply replies, "I know. And you're holding out on me. I'm loving it. I'm loving you. Now shower, or we're going to be late for our previously rescheduled 2 pm lunch. We don't want to give Garcia reason to ask anymore questions."

I grin toward her and head into the bathroom closing the door about half-way; habit. I say to myself: _she's lovely. A little quirkier than I originally knew from work but I love those qualities._

After getting dressed, we took her car to Thai Roma, a quaint cuisine across from the Capitol building in downtown DC. The 25-minute drive relatively quiet. We arrived about 10 minutes before 2 and were seated at a table waiting for Penelope to show up. In dire need of anything to ensure I wouldn't get one of those god-awful caffeine withdrawal headaches, I ordered myself a coffee.

Pen showed up a few minutes later, greeting me with a hug and a hello. She gave Emily a hug too and upon pulling away, she noticed the purplish bruise surrounded by the deep red teeth marks.

Foregoing any small talk, she jumped right into the (un)pleasantries. "How's your neck, Emily?" She asks pointedly.

Emily answers, unaware "It's a little stiff. I think I pulled something last night."

"Maybe you got bitten by something? Or rather, someone. You really expect me to believe you pulled a muscle with that," pointing at Emily's neck wide-eyed, "on display? Get real; I don't need to be a profiler to call bull-shit on that."

"What?" Emily asks confused. Reaching for her neck, running her fingers over it, coming in contact with the teeth marks; she began piecing everything together. Realization finally hitting her like a metaphorical bullet, she turned to me, "You planned this, didn't you?" she inquires accusingly.

Watching Emily's fingers run lightly across her skin brought the memories and the promise of her words last night flooding back into my mind: '_I want you to see my hands and my fingers when we're at work, while you're in a room full of people, detectives, the media, whomever and think about what they feel like when inside you..' _I simply smiled putting my hands up in mock surrender, "Guilty as charged."

"All's fair in love and war. Keep that in mind, baby. It's on."

Garcia interjected herself back into the conversation, "so, that's it? No quarrelling? How are you going to have insanely good make up sex, if you never have to make up?"

Emily countered, "who needs make up sex when the relationship sex is already on an out of this worldly level? It can only get better as we get more familiar with each other, am I right? I can't say it's not a little embarrassing that my sex life is on display for the whole of DC to see, but it is what it is."

"Are we even now?" I asked. _This should be entertaining._

"Um, no. Not a chance." Emily replied flirtatiously, "I told you to brush your teeth because you had morning breath. You sent me out into the nation's capitol in a busy restaurant, mid-day, on a weekend, to display the fact that I had sex last night. They're, you know, just a little bit different."

"Any thoughts on how you are going to cover that up?" Garcia asked genuinely concerned.

Emily set her glass back down that she had just risen to her lips to get both my and Penelope's attention before asking, "how bad is it?"

"Well, it looks bad enough that I can tell just by looking at it; the person on the giving end of it was having a really, _really_ good time." I replied.

"Fair enough. I'd like to try to hide it as much as possible at work. I have to look professional, and something tells me this isn't."

"We'll figure something out. I promise." I stated before leaning over to give her a kiss. I whispered in her ear, "Remember what you said about wanting me to remember your fingers inside me? Watching them on your neck when you felt my teeth marks on your skin was such a turn on."

Garcia, oblivious to what I had just said was looking around animatedly, "What's it take to get a little service around here, anyway?"


	13. Piercing Words

Disclaimer: I don't own Criminal Minds, unfortunately.

After lunch with Penelope, JJ and Emily journeyed out for a walk up and down some random streets around Capitol Hill. For the end of January it was unseasonably warm; still chilly, but warmer than expected.

They walked around to the opposite side of the Capitol from where lunch was eaten and chose to take a seat upon a vacant bench. They sat close together; thighs and biceps touching; nothing more. JJ played with a loose thread on her jacket, but appeared content with just being in Emily's presence.

Emily broke the comfortable silence that had fallen between them, "What do you plan to do tonight?"

JJ replied amorously smirking towards her lover, "I'm making an executive decision in this relationship that we're doing something together. Maybe a movie? Like in a theater, not a rental. So your vote doesn't count. Don't even bother casting one."

Emily thought to herself,_ her assertiveness is pretty sexy. I can get down with this. _Grinning at JJ after she finished speaking; knowing they were already going to spend the evening together. _A movie, that sounds cute, I like it._ Now that they had some tentative evening plans, Emily tried to set the mood light, "Are you sure about that, Jennifer? What if I already have a date?"

JJ looked at Emily sadly stating, "Oh, well that's fine then."

Assuming she was just messing around, Emily affirmed flirtatiously, "It's so hot when you get a little jealous Jenn."

JJ looked around to make sure they were relatively alone, "Yeah, well, sometimes I wish you'd get jealous too. At least then I'd know you want me. For fucks sake Emily, you go out of your way to prove to yourself that I get jealous to reiterate my feelings to yourself. I couldn't make you jealous if I tried, so why bother? I'm sorry I don't have thousands of compartments to store my emotions. I'm human and wear them on my sleeve. Is that something you're even capable of?" She seethed angrily and moved to stand up, needing some distance between herself and Emily.

"Baby, I'm sorry. I was just kidding; you know I don't have a date. Of course I want you; if we weren't standing in the middle of downtown then I'd proceed to show you just how much." Emily reached her hand out to try to initiate contact again.

JJ jerked away from the advancing hand, "What the fuck, Emily? Trying to sweet talk your way back into good graces? If I asked you the same '_what if I already have a date?_' bull-shit, you'd have some smart-ass comment like you were going to watch a fucking Gilmore Girls marathon or something equally as demoralizing that should be so far beneath spending time with someone you love. So, just, no. Stop touching me." countering vehemently, JJ finished her rant sounding more dejected than angry before hurriedly walking back towards the car.

Emily quickly ran after her, moving stride for stride together, attempting to get JJ to listen to her. She was having none of it though, not yet anyway. "Can you just leave me alone for a few minutes, please?" JJ finally asked.

Emily didn't want to, but was smart enough to know that leaving the blonde alone was the only choice she had. Reaching into her coat pocket to grab her keys, she reciprocated, "here, take these," pressing them into JJ's hand, "and call me when you want me to start walking to the car. Ok? Until then I'm just going to wait here."

JJ nodded in understanding before walking away wordlessly.

Finding another bench close by to sit upon, Emily began waiting out her sentence to silent treatment. _Wow, what a turn of events. I should have known this would happen._ She proceeded to take out her phone to catch the time, if for no other reason than to know what JJ's cooling off period tends to be. 4:33 pm; she started thinking about the things that JJ said. How right she was. About everything.

5 minutes passed. No word. 10 minutes. Still nothing. 15 minutes now, and Emily began thinking that maybe JJ was mad enough to just leave her to walk to her condo, but with what keys to get in? Quickly tossing that thought from her mind, Emily assumed that would never happen. 18 minutes passed and finally a text message arrived advising her that it was safe to come back now. _Safe, what's that supposed to mean?_

When she arrived, JJ was waiting outside leaning on the driver's side door. Emily walked up to her, in her personal space and stood there for a moment to confirm if she'd been welcome. She was.

JJ pressed her hands on the brunette's hips, and was the first to speak. "You don't get to pretend there's anyone else that you're seeing. Ever. It's just you and me. You hear me?"

"Ok, I got it. I'm sorry for being insensitive, Jennifer."

"Just promise me that you won't say that anymore."

"I promise not to pretend to have a date just to get a rise out of you."

"Thank you."

Emily spoke again, "I'm gonna make some mistakes in this relationship honey. I can't promise I'm not going to hurt your feelings again, Ok? Or say something that I realize after the fact is insensitive and makes you cry. I can promise you though that no one is going to feel worse about it than me and I'll be better prepared so it doesn't happen again."

"That was sweet, in a morbid kind of way, but sweet. I'm sorry if you think I was over-reacting."

"I don't. You had every right to be angry." Emily assured.

JJ smiled toward her lover, "Now, even though we're out in public where anyone from the Bureau can see us, do you think I could have a kiss? Even if it's just a little one."

Emily peered down at JJ's lips, radiating desire, then brushed an agonizingly soft kiss across her lips before resuming speaking, "I love you Jennifer. Thank you for not pretending that what I said didn't bother you."

JJ simply nodded, not trusting her own voice; not after letting a low, potent sound escape following Emily's kiss. She hated that she let it out, but like other things this afternoon, it seemed to be out of her control. That fleeting kiss had stirred her desires more deeply than even sex with some past lovers and haunts had.

Finding her voice, hoping it was steady and not breathless, JJ spoke, "Take me home."

"Are you propositioning me Agent Jareau?"

"Let's just say that I expect you to kiss me like that again later." JJ husked provocatively before retreating to the other side of the vehicle.

Staring pointedly at JJ across the top of the car, Emily retorted, "Don't worry baby, I plan to do a lot more than just kiss you later."

Playing coy, as though an increasing wetness didn't just make it presence known, "Did you forget? We're going to the movies tonight." JJ opened the car door and climbed in.

"I know we are;" Emily stated, climbing into the vehicle as well, "my stunning girlfriend informed me in a particularly sexy and assertive fashion. I was just enlightening you of my own executive decision in regard to our after movie plans."

"You do realize that I'm not going to be able to sit through this whole movie now that you…" JJ paused momentarily before resuming, "nevermind. I should know better than to feed monsters. We should head back."

Emily started the vehicle and began the drive back to JJ's house. A few minutes later while driving down the city streets, Emily spoke up, "Your nostrils flare when you're angry. It's kind of arousing actually. And the Gilmore Girls comment, that was really good."

JJ just stared at her for a moment before asking indignantly, "Seriously?"

"Too soon, huh?" She replied with a slight grin.

"Yeah, too soon." JJ replied with a similar grin knowing this was already behind them.

* * *

I've turned into kind of a review junkie. I never thought I would, but I actually like reading what you gals (I assume its mostly girls who read this...?) have to say, so review if you feel compelled. It gives me inspiration to keep writing. Thanks much.


	14. Cinema Shenanigans

Disclaimer: Fact, I don't own Criminal Minds.

JJ's POV

Emily lay down on my sofa taking up as much room as her small body would possibly allow. _So typical_, I think to myself. Instead of telling her to move so I can sit down, I just proceed to climb over top of her. The sofa isn't tremendously deep, but it's enough to where I can lay the left half of my body on the back of the cushion and allow the rest of my body to drape across hers.

"You were hogging the couch; I had to improvise. I figured you wouldn't mind." I say to her, grinning.

"Not at all. In fact, I think it's perfect." She says, picking her head up slightly to kiss the top of my head. I assume it's the only part she can reach in her current position. We lay there together for 10, maybe 15 minutes before she decides to shift to her side too. Now we're facing each other and she looks like she's up to something. I can see the cogs turning in her mind.

She speaks quietly given our close distance, "I love you Jennifer and there's no where in this world I'd rather be than right here. Kissing you." It's sweet. Really sweet, actually; I won't give her the satisfaction of knowing that right now though.

"You can stop trying, baby. I was already planning on having sex with you after the movie." I tell her with a wink before beginning an assault on her neck. Luckily for her it's the opposite side from where I've already bruised her.

She stops me momentarily, "Please baby, no more marks. Anywhere from my shoulders or collarbone down is fair game right now." Her eyes flutter closed, "I don't want everyone thinking that I spent my first weekend off in months doing nothing but getting fucked."

The way she says '_getting fucked' _sends a jolt of arousal through my body directly to my core. There's a time for slow, gentle, love-making, and there's a time for passionate, dirty, adulterated sex. _That's what I want tonight._

She unbuttoned my pants and stealthily positioned her knee between my legs, prying them open ever so slightly. She dropped her left hand between my legs, gripping my pussy with conviction. It felt like she was trying to pull it from me. I slid my hand under her shirt, running my fingers down her back. My nails leaving trails along her skin. I could feel her pinching the lips of my pussy through my panties. It hurt but when she let go, all I wanted was that pain back. I knew I was on the verge of coming already, but I just couldn't help myself. I wanted more and didn't want to wait until after the movie.

I grabbed ahold of her crotch through her pants, squeezing it. Then I pushed back harshly, knowing the tingling feeling dancing along her pussy when I let go; silently begging for my grip. I shoved myself at her, pushing my hips in the direction of her hand.

She whispered fiercely, barely able to get the words out, "We need to get to the cinema. The 7 o'clock showing is going to start."

I didn't respond verbally, instead I unzipped her pants and slid my hand inside. She tried clumsily to push my hand away, but quickly gave up, leaning her head back, panting as my hand started rubbing with feverish intensity. Watching the look on her face, I suddenly realized what I was doing. I made such a big deal about this date and she was trying to see it to fruition. I pulled my hand back and closed up my own pants.

Emily sat up and looked at me, eyes completely glazed over, wetness glistening through the opening at the front of her pants.

I said calmly, "You're right, we can't keep going. We need to get to the movie."

She leaned over and tried to slip her hand through the gap between the buttons of my shirt, rubbing herself against my leg, but I blocked her advance and shook my head. I looked at her face, still flushed, and smiled to myself. I had almost forgotten how much fun all of this could be.

Upon arrival at the theater, we chose an action flick that bombed and assaulted its way across the screen. Captivating enough to provide a distracting plot, but not sensational enough that we'd mind missing large bits of dialogue while sending tongues inside mouths and hands inside or under shirts.

Knowing that our level of frustration may lead to some inappropriate behavior, we found seats in the back; in the far corner where the usual Saturday night crowd wouldn't mind if pants got unzipped and shirts unbuttoned.

Of course, both of these things happened before the previews were even finished.

Our popcorn remained overlooked as Emily's hands gently, then increasingly more firm, rubbed my breasts. I leaned back against the seat, particularly oblivious to the bass being output through the audio system. What had my attention was the straight line of electricity running from my chest to my pussy. Sensing my growing heat, she pushed my shirt open wider, pulled my bra down, and slipped her tongue around my nipple.

"Oh God," I whispered, tensing my thighs and pointing my toes. I let myself slip farther into the seat not wanting to allow the wetness to become visible on the outside of my pants. The moisture inside me was seeping through the lips of my pussy and into my panties.

Emily ran her hand down my stomach, across my waist, and underneath my waistband fluently popping open the button and dropping the zipper. She slid her hand between my legs; and as much as I knew it would make the remainder of the movie boundless, I arched toward her. I pressed my crotch against her hand desperate to experience the fulfillment of her fingers against my pussy.

I lasted about four agonizing seconds before I couldn't even see straight anymore. I wanted her fingers inside me. Emptiness began consuming me and I couldn't wait a second longer. I pulled my pants down to my knees and tugged my underwear to one side.

"Please baby," I whispered hotly.

A smile hinted across Emily's face. She gazed at me, and without taking her eyes off my face; she pressed one then two fingers inside of me. I couldn't help it, I moaned, bowing my hips down around her hand. No one seemed to take note, fascinated as they were by the audio assault of the flick.

Ever so slowly, she began to glide her fingers in and out of me. I made an attempt to reach for her pants, but just as my fingers brushed the edge of her zipper, Emily thrust her fingers deep into me causing my hand to fall limply at my side.

Her fingers eased out, pondering for a moment near my clit; then reaching their way back in, pressing against my G-spot before sliding back out. My head leaned back against the edge of the seat, eyes closed, small orbs of white light waltzing through my head.

My body managed to be both perfectly taut and entirely useless at the same time. Every pore in my body motioning up and down to Emily's perfect rhythm. As her rhythm grew faster, the white lights increased their pace, my fingers gripped my seat. She worked her fingers in and out with professional efficiency, and I lay back praying for more.

Every part of me was ready and aching, a heavenly tingling running from head to toe, fixating between my legs. Emily slid her other hand up my stomach and attached herself to my nipple. Pinching it lightly; sending me into a tunnel of white lights and a quiet roaring in my ears.

Just as everything began to harmonize – the white lights, the quiet roar, the endless tingling, the unmistakable fingers – she stopped, her index finger gently pressed against my G-spot. I froze – the quiet roar now muted, the white lights on pause, the fingers stilling – and waited with everything on hold. Then, with the precision of a surgeon, Emily pulled her fingers out, licked them, and gazed calmly at me.

I wanted to scream. Literally scream. I took a deep breath. The deepest breath I've ever taken and waited for her to return everything to order.

Once I grasped a hold of all of my senses, recovering from the crag Emily coaxed me toward before abandoning me, I breathed again, pretending to be captivated by the movie we'd come to see.

I fixed my eyes on the screen, watching some broad-chested man, whom I presume was the star of the movie, run down a wet alleyway, both guns drawn, feeling Emily's eyes all over me. I ignored her. I would have my revenge for this.

I waited until after the alley scene was over with, until after the star had wrestled some dirty, leather-clad bad-guy to the ground and handcuffed him, until after the booking at the small town police station, until after the lonely drink at a quiet bar where we try to sympathize with our emotionally pained star, until after the obligatory sex scene with a rescued call-girl.

After all of those scenes had passed, during which time I stared ahead, eating my popcorn and acting as though nothing perverse was running through my brain. Only then did I slowly reach my arm through Emily's. I reached my arm through hers and rested it, casually, on the inside of her thigh.

I could feel Emily's eyes peering over at me, but I was too busy staring straight ahead to make eye contact.

I waited until after another scene, one polluted with some inconsequential high-speed car chase, and that's when I made my move. My hand crept up Emily's thigh, making its way between her legs, then intentionally ceasing moving for an instant, just long enough to make sure she wondered if I'd keep ascending. Then my fingers found her dress-slack covered pussy. As I expected, it was wet through both her panties and pants. I decided to increase the pressure and began to rub.

I moved to lean my head onto Emily's right shoulder nonchalantly, continuing to add pressure while I rubbed her through her pants. After several more hot seconds, I whispered into her ear, "If you were planning on being gentle tonight, baby," I paused to ensure she was listening while continuing my slow movements against her pussy. I demanded, "Don't."

Emily took in a breath slowly to steady her thoughts before speaking to me, "Wow. That is quite possibly the sexiest thing you've ever said, Jennifer."

Her breath continued to grow louder and faster as my hand moved harder and faster. I pressed my fingers onto her, hard, feeling them around either side of her clit pressed tightly against her panties; her wetness becoming even more noticeable against the soft fabric.

At the point I thought she'd spontaneously combust. When her breathing couldn't get any faster, I reached over and grabbed hold of her zipper and pulled it down. She sighed with gratification matched only by the relief of release.

I ran my mouth around her protruding clit. Gently moving my tongue around it, pulling it, sucking it, lightly grazing with my teeth. I gave her about two minutes of warm, wet, indulgence before sitting up, wiping my mouth and grabbing a handful of popcorn. I had a feature presentation to get back to.

Emily lay back in her seat a while longer, unmoving, not opening her eyes, just concentrating on breathing steadily. I ignored her. Well, actually I pretended to ignore her while stealthily noticing her every move. After her breath returned to normal, she sat up and zipped herself back together. She leaned over and gave me a quick kiss on my cheek before asking for some popcorn.

_We're a perfect tandem,_ I thought to myself.

When the movie finished, we were seated together much like any other respectable 30-something couple; popcorn exhausted, arms interlocked, enjoying the adventures of our star and his bodacious starlet.

We slowly got up as closing credits began, donning our coats and filing out with the rest of the respectable citizens of Alexandria, Virginia.

We both checked our watches, 9:43 pm. Time to head home to satisfy the aching we'd been building inside each other over the course of the evening.


	15. The Dirty Eyes

**A/N:** My apologies to av8rwinn, I hope I didn't entirely ruin your movie going experience last night. :)

The car simply wouldn't move fast enough. The lights, the traffic, the fumbling with keys in the doorway; nothing moved at the speed they needed it to. Emily and JJ made it to JJ's house in record time, but it still felt far too long.

JJ watched Emily as she got out of the car, appreciating the line on the back of her pants as she turned slightly to lock the car doors; the tightening of her jacket around her chest. JJ simply couldn't wait any longer to get the brunette's clothes off.

Following Emily as they descended upon the structure of her home, JJ's eyes traced the curves of her lover's ass. Her pants were as tight as her jacket, the dark trousers pulled snugly across her cheeks. JJ let Emily get two strides ahead, watching as the fabric clung to her skin while she moved up the 3 steps in front of the house.

JJ tried imagining what it was like inside of her lover's pants at that moment. If the rubbing of the seam was making her even more wet, if it's warm in there. Anticipating how it would feel to finally be touching her as her trousers were then. Imagining her hand sliding between Emily's thighs as they opened with every step.

While Emily fumbled with the keys at the door, trying to find the right one, JJ ran her hand over a perfectly formed ass, huskily stating "Hurry up. I can't wait to fuck you tonight." Making Emily's already unsteady hands shake more, causing her to drop the keys.

"I'm more than willing to let you fuck me. Once we get inside."

JJ leaned down and picked up the keys, "You dropped something. The key you're looking for is this one." she stated before handing them back. JJ spanned her hands over Emily's ass again, pulling her forward, shoving her tongue into Emily's mouth.

"Come on! I'm trying to get us inside" Emily swatted the blonde's head and scampered a few steps away.

JJ grabbed her, pulling her briefly before shoving Emily against the door.

Noncommittally, she tried to push JJ off of her, but JJ pushed back harder. Emily looked so damn hot, with her slightly-tanned neck framed perfectly by the ironed collar of her blouse. JJ knew what was stashed underneath and couldn't wait to unwrap it.

JJ tugged Emily's hair, causing her to flinch a bit at the sudden tug, crying out, "Hey!"

JJ covered Emily's lips with her own again before she could utter another word. JJ wanted to fill Emily up; she wanted her tongue in Emily's throat and her fingers buried inside her pussy. She started pulling at Emily's jacket to open it.

"Jay, stop it," she pushed the blonde away. "We're still outside, your neighbor's might see. Let's just get inside."

JJ sighed and looked at her wide, brown eyes, picturing what they would look like after hours of sex; eyeliner smudged, hazy and erotic. She wanted to see those eyes. She wanted to see Emily look dirty. JJ's breath started getting heavy as her mind triggered her mouth to salivate.

"Ok, open the door already, fuck." JJ stated, clearly frustrated.

Emily finally slipped the key in the lock and the two burst through the door, a mess of dropping bags, discarding hats, losing mittens, shedding coats. Before Emily could get both of her shoes off, she had been pinned to the wall. The energy was primal and rough, and Emily was loving it.

JJ caught a whiff of Emily's perfume as her mouth raked over her throat. Hands clawed predatorily at Emily's shirt. "Your perfume makes me so fucking horny."

"Don't tear it," Emily cautioned her as she hastened to undo the buttons, not responding to JJ's comment.

JJ beat her to it, grabbing one end in her right hand and giving it a swift tug. The buttons popped off.

"Hey, I told you…" she trailed off.

"I'll buy you another one," JJ mumbled under her breath, hands quick to encompass Emily's perfect breasts, tongue tasting her throat, her chest, her nipples. She slid her hand around the small tanned waist, moving across her ribs to her breasts. "Do you want me to pinch them?" JJ asked, exhaling her hot breath against Emily's nipples.

"Fuck. Yes. Pinch 'em." She paused, taking a sharp intake of breath, "Harder, baby. Pinch 'em harder. Oh God, just like that. Pull on my nipples, baby." She rasped out.

As JJ pinched Emily's nipples, pressing them pointedly between her fingers; so tightly that her fingers felt like teeth, Emily felt her nipples grow red and swollen in response. She could feel energy coursing through her.

JJ could feel her desire and her energy were flowing into her lover; able to tell Emily was getting wetter, her nipples harder, head leaning back against the wall.

Her neck looked so perfect. So smooth. So exposed that JJ couldn't resist it. She deliciously ran her tongue over it, leaving small lines of saliva in its wake as she traced the line from Emily's clavicle to chin and back.

Feeling JJ's tongue over her throat, Emily moaned thinking that she might drown in the sensation.

Then, JJ bit her, again. Sharp dagger-like teeth, unwarranted, pierced Emily's skin with their fiercely sharp blades. Emily yelped in surprise pulling back, "Fuck. That hurt."

Appreciating her handiwork; JJ smiled at the red circle of teeth standing out on Emily's freshly violated skin. JJ proceeded to run the fingers of her right hand over Emily's neck, pulling her close. JJ kissed her until she could tell that the brunette's hips were arching against her own; knowing that Emily's underwear had been soaked through long before.

Tightly squeezing Emily's right nipple with her left hand, JJ commanded "Follow me." She proceeded to lead Emily to her bedroom with the firm grasp still in tact, occasionally twisting and tugging.

JJ pushed Emily down on the bed, panting slightly but didn't utter a word as her shoe, pants and panties were pulled off and tossed aside.

JJ started kissing Emily's body all over; her tongue, lips and teeth wet and rough producing quiet moans from Emily as she stretched her body out beneath the blonde.

"Mmm, yes. Just like that baby. Use your teeth. Yeah, don't stop." Emily encouraged.

Slipping her hand behind Emily's waist, JJ dragged it down over her ass cheeks and between her crack. Emily tensed slightly as JJ's finger firmly pressed against her asshole, loitering there before thrusting inward until the tip was slightly inside. JJ let Emily recognize her discomfort, but slid down to her pussy before Emily was able to protest.

JJ was right, Emily was completely soaked; the tip of JJ's finger covered in her juices. JJ removed her hand, and while sitting atop the brunette, brought the wet finger to her mouth.

Emily stared at JJ, slightly embarrassed while she slid her finger into her own mouth. She tasted dirty, dirty and delicious; wet, somewhat tart, and sticky. JJ leaned over Emily, her finger between both of their faces. She blushed while JJ looked at her, before JJ plunged the finger into Emily's mouth. "Taste it."

JJ could feel the guarded tongue of her lover while she shoved her finger around, against sharp teeth, against the soft wall of her cheeks, the slippery roof of her mouth. Emily could barely figure out what it tasted like, somewhat sweet, bitter, and milky all at the same time she'd suppose, before JJ had pulled it out.

"Now, that wasn't so bad, was it baby?" JJ asked, as if speaking to a petulant child.

"No. Now stop the god damn teasing and fuck me." Emily demanded in agony.

"That's no way to talk to your lover." JJ reached over onto her night stand to grab her handcuffs, quickly looping them through her headboard grabbing Emily's wrists. "That's what you get." Emily was about to say something, but JJ gave her a silencing look and shook her head.

She ran her finger down Emily's forehead, past her neck, her chest, her stomach; slowly looking her over. Emily's arms stretched out above her head, biceps slightly clenched, and wrists looking small and painfully white against the steel of JJ's handcuffs. She had her head cocked slightly to the side, a disobedient stare; daring JJ to make her next move. This gaze made JJ's hunger even stronger.

JJ ran her fingers over Emily's arms, across her chest, over her hips, appreciating the sensation, dragging out the moments in tight anticipation. Her brown hair spread across the pillow; body lean and long and completely exposed, the tan skin looking a darker brown against JJ's lightly colored sheets.

"Lift your knees up. Now." JJ instructed.

Emily did as told, and with a quiet groan of pleasure, JJ leaned down pressing her tongue to the wetness resting between Emily's legs. Emily flinched slightly at the suddenness of JJ's tongue spearing inside of her, making them both feel more alive.

Plunging three fingers inside, JJ started pounding right away, in and out, fast and hard, the wincing on Emily's face accelerating the blonde's need. Her mascara running, eyes closed, hands clenched around the handcuffs attempting to release the pressure from the pain; JJ kept thrusting her fingers watching as Emily's breasts danced back and forth, echoing the rhythm of each thrust.

Emily felt tight and wet, soft and hot, making JJ unable to slow down.

"What do you want?" JJ growled between her thrusts.

Emily opened her eyes and glanced at JJ, startled, her body vibrating as JJ continued to drive deeply into her.

Asking again, this time louder, "What do you want me to do to you Emily?"

"I want… I want," between her panting and her uncertainty as to her options, it was impossible for her to get a comprehensible answer.

"Do you want to feel my tongue inside your pussy?" JJ asked loudly, inches from Emily's face.

"I want… I want," Emily continued to struggle forming words.

JJ asked again, this time louder, accentuating every other word with a push in, every other with a push out.

"Yes. Yes. Yes. I want you to eat my cunt. Fuck me with your tongue!" She shouted out at JJ, her eyes gleaming and aggresive, "Now!"

JJ removed Emily's handcuffs and lay down between her wide open legs. She was still wet and leaking onto the bed.

With one slow lick of Emily's slit, JJ arrogantly asked. "Is this what you needed baby?"

"Oh, fuck. Yes. That. Give it to me Jay." Emily moaned, raising her hips to try to regain contact with JJ's mouth.

JJ placed several slower, languid licks to Emily's cunt before Emily tugged a fistful of the blonde's hair. Forcefully holding JJ's head in place with her handfuls of blonde hair, Emily thrust her hips violently at JJ's tongue, groaning, "No more teasing. Eat my fucking pussy."

JJ couldn't resist slipping two fingers back inside before swirling her tongue over Emily's protruding clit, spearing it ferociously.

"Suck it. Suck my fucking clit." Emily breathed.

JJ twisted her long fingers inside, and captured the distended bud between her lips, biting down on it before giving it several rough tugs.

"Oh God, baby don't stop. Don't fucking stop. Pull it. Uhhhh." Emily rasped out in pleasure.

Riveted by the exquisitely straining pleasure and concentration on Emily's face, JJ didn't stop. Instead she inserted a third finger, shoving them inside and holding them steady while the walls of Emily's pussy adjusted to the added pressure.

"Curl 'em." Emily sucked in a breath, "Uhhh," another intake breath, "curl your fingers baby. Make me come." Emily demanded.

"Look at me baby. I want to watch your eyes when you cream in my mouth." JJ exhaled her words and breaths into Emily's pussy as she spoke, then curled her fingers forward.

"Your breath feels so hot inside me." Feeling JJ's fingers curled inside her, frigging her G-Spot, "I'm gonna come. I'm gonna come." Emily rushed, taking another quick breath, "Oh god, I'm coming!" Back arched off the bed, hips still thrusting feverishly.

Emily came with a shudder and a moan; the muscles pulsing inside her, enveloping JJ's fingers tighter, her hips shivering as her previously tensed body crumbled. JJ removed her fingers, licking them clean as they exited Emily's tight channel continuing to lap up her lover's juices.

Wrapping herself around JJ, Emily whispered several wet, hot thank-you's into her ear.

_Ah, the dirty eyes. It's good to see them. She wears them well. _JJ thought to herself smugly.

While kissing JJ's lips, tasting herself on her lover's tongue re-igniting her fire, Emily dragged her hand down JJ's taut body, fingers taking up residence around her clit.

"Oh God, don't tease me. I'm so hot right now. I need you to make me come. Quickly."

"How many fingers do you want baby?" Emily asked, as she forcefully shoved her four fingers inside. "This many?"

JJ groaned inaudibly.

"You're so fucking tight. Do you like having your pussy stretched?" Emily erotically questioned, biting down on JJ's earlobe.

"It's incredible baby, pull them out and put them back in. The pleasure following the pain going in is so good; it's making my nipples hard and tingly." JJ instructed while fisting the sheets on either side of her slowly elevating and lowering her hips into the movement of Emily's hand.

Emily met JJ's hips thrust for thrust, whispering into her ear. "I love being inside you."

"Oh God, I'm gonna come Emily, just a few more quick thrusts."

Emily thrust her fingers inside once more, refusing to pull out. Instead she curled her fingers inside, playing JJ's pussy like a musical instrument.

"Fuck!" JJ wailed, as her body shook uncontrollably as the influx of shock waves rolled through her body.

"Wow, that was… that was amazing." JJ said after regaining some of her composure, still gasping slightly.

Emily eased her fingers out of her lover and licked them clean, moving her mouth mere inches from JJ's before gazing into her eyes and announcing, "Mmm, you taste so good."

She ran her finger over JJ's slit once more, coming into contact with the over-sensitized bud causing an involuntary shudder. She captured some of JJ's cream before pressing her finger inside the blonde's mouth. "See?"

Before the blonde could answer, Emily had removed her finger and replaced it with her mouth, placing tired, gentle, rather lazy kisses before sleep crept in and took both of them.


	16. Vampires

Just another playful chapter to set things up for the next chapter. My brain is mush from writing the last one so this may not be my best piece of work. I'm sure you'll find some way to get over it though, right?

* * *

JJ lay in bed watching Emily stare, stare happily, at the off-white ceiling for a solid five minutes before becoming uncomfortably bored. After all, a ceiling isn't exactly interesting or appealing to look at for any extended length of time.

"Hey Creeper, what's on your mind?" JJ asked, startling Emily from an apparent trip down memory lane.

"Oh, sorry." Emily supplied, looking toward JJ, "I had a dream about you last night and I'm trying to remember all of the finer details. Trying to figure out how it ends. It was nice."

"Ooooh, was it dirty? Tell me about it." JJ's interest suddenly perked at the prospect of this being a sexual dream. _Maybe we could even make it a reality_, she thought to herself.

"You. Yes you," Emily stated, glaring playfully, at JJ, "have a filthy mind. Unfortunately for you, there was no sex or compromising situations involved."

"Then why do you look so happy?" JJ asked genuinely perplexed.

"Well, some of us have other stimuli aside from sex, my love." Emily placed a kiss on JJ's nose before continuing. "I dreamed that I took a bus ride to New York City, from some unknown city to try to kiss you. That's it; that was the objective: just to kiss you."

"You say '_that's it_' like it's something profound. I rescind my demand for you to tell me about it. It sounds boring."

"Ugh, you're such an ass sometimes, Jareau." Emily scoffed mirthlessly. The usage of JJ's last name a defense mechanism in an apparent attempt to impersonalize the situation. "Nevermind. I knew you wouldn't listen. Your loss, you would have liked it. It was kind of sappy; I know how you get into all that jazz."

"Well, all you said was that you took a bus ride to try to kiss me. Not much to draw conclusions from."

"Not much other than the gesture, in and of itself, is a total sap-fest waiting to happen which should have perked your interest." Emily replied incredulously.

"Point taken. So tell me about it." JJ stated, still only partially interested.

"Laugh and I'm getting out of this bed and showering. And then you're not getting sex for an entire week. In fact, you can sleep alone for a week. That's 7 full days. Understood?" Emily asked humorously with an edge of seriousness to her voice.

"Whatever, you can't hold out for 3 days, let alone 7, but if that's what it takes to get you talking. Then fine, I won't laugh. Now go." JJ replied wittily, hoping Emily wouldn't actually hold out on her.

"Ok, well I don't think we were FBI agents in my dream. You were working downtown, which is why I had "W. 13th/6th Ave." scrawled out on my arm. Waiting for me on the corner during your lunch, you called when I was a block away, and this was how I was sure I liked you: I couldn't concentrate on anything you said. A red shirt, black pants and white shoes is what you told me you had on, but when I echoed it in my head, all the colors were mixed up."

JJ smiled but hadn't started laughing; she nodded her head in affirmation for Emily to continue.

"Nevertheless, I find you, hug you, poke your bare upper arm a few times to confirm your existence and study your face as if I have to plot it on an upcoming test or something. You then find my hand as we cross a street that could never have been wide enough, and before we reach the other curb, I'm already replaying the scene in my head in slow motion to ensure the memory is stored perfectly for future use."

"That was cute. I like it." JJ responded attempting to kiss Emily.

"Oh, it's not done just yet. Almost though." Emily smiled giddily clearly getting to the best part. "So we're walking and I asked you, _'do you have any interest in kissing me in Central Park?'_ to which you reply _'I would love to.'_ And you said it so sickeningly sweet, like I had just offered you chocolate chip cookies."

"That sounds really nice. Maybe this summer we can make that dream a reality. The kiss in Central Park, I mean."

"I didn't get to the actual kiss though, unfortunately. My guess is that I would have tried and you would have bitten me like the vampire that you are." Emily replied comically.

Laughing lightheartedly, "I'm not _that_ bad."

"Honey, I've gotten you off twice. You've bitten me twice. Statistics don't lie, you _are_ that bad, ask Reid." Emily teased with mock seriousness.

"Shall I tell him why I need to know while I'm at it? You know, tell him I just have to bite things when someone has their fingers inside me." JJ asked while winking at her lover.

"Ok, you win. But you've still bitten me twice. You really are a vampire, aren't you?"

"For the record, Emily. I bit you long before either you or I got off last night."

"Hey Vampire, way to not answer the question," Emily leaned forward and placed a languid, exploratory kiss on JJ's lips before pulling back and touching her index finger to JJ's slightly parted lips. "Food goes in here. It's your turn to feed me." Emily stated before dropping a quick kiss and climbing out of bed.

"I guess that means I'm on breakfast duty."

"Yep, but before that, maybe you should brush your teeth." Extending her arm as though she were introducing someone, she spoke. "Vampire, meet post oral-sex morning breath."

"Ugh, you're such a crude little shit sometimes, but that's not necessary." JJ responded dismissively, "I'm not planning on kissing anyone anyway," and with that, she strutted out of the room.

Emily went into the bathroom and turned on the water before undressing. She proceeded to stand under the hot, steady, sharp stream for several minutes allowing the water to massage her tightened back and stomach muscles caused by her contorted position within handcuffs the night previous. Upon inspection of her wrists, she noticed the deep bruising and minor abrasions across her wrists. _Fucking hell, this just keeps getting better. Thank God its winter and I can wear long sleeves every day,_ she tried to defend.

Fifteen minutes later, she was clean and clothed for a lazy day walking into the kitchen for what appeared to be a fairly simple breakfast of French toast and eggs with orange juice.

"I didn't know what you wanted, but you have to eat quickly. We have a case, so eat and get ready." JJ stated in passing, while walking toward her bedroom. "I already ate. I'm going to take a quick shower. I smell like a defiled movie theater and night of hot sex," calling out a little louder to allow her voice to carry throughout the house.

20 minutes later, the two were ready to walk out JJ's front door when she gave Emily a quick kiss, perhaps the final one until much later that night.

"Oh shit. Take your jacket off and follow me. Hurry." She said quickly while heading toward her master bathroom.

"Baby, this is hardly the time for a quickie. We're already late." Emily sighed frustrated unwilling to budge.

"Yeah, I know, but you are the one that didn't want to look like they spent the whole weekend fucking so get your stubborn ass in here so we can cover up the proof of your sexual deviance."


	17. Not a Conquest

**A/N:** Thanks to everyone continuing to review. I really do appreciate them and it certainly helps me to keep thoughts flowing. I'm using this chapter to set up a few ideas I plan to get out in the coming days.

* * *

Hotch divided up the team on the jet bound for Raleigh, NC as they made their descent. He had sent JJ to stave off the press, Emily with Derek to speak to victim's families, and Spencer to work on a geographical profile.

Upon entering the SUV, Derek had begun probing for information before he even fully closed the drivers' side door. "I see you and Romeo got together this weekend."

"We're not talking about this." Emily stated already exasperated.

"So, is it the same guy as last week?" Derek asked casting a sideways glance toward Emily while driving.

"Is what the same guy? What are you even talking about?" Emily asked in a state of befuddlement.

"Come on Prentiss. You looked like shit last Monday." He stated honestly.

"Thanks, Derek. Your appreciation for my appearance is remarkable," she retorted snidely.

"It's not a joke. Today, outwardly everything looked normal until we got outside and into the sun. I can see you're covering something up. I just need to know, as your friend, is he hurting you?" Derek seemed genuinely concerned.

Emily cringed,_ He? There is no 'he,' but I can't tell Derek that. Is he hurting me, what does he even mean?_ Realization dawning on her, she knew she had to give him something. "No, Derek," she started and suddenly stopped rethinking what to say. "Well, not in the sense you're thinking anyway," she started again, unsure how to continue.

He raised his right eyebrow to her, an unspoken statement telling her to go on.

"It's just that, well, J" and after she said it, she couldn't take it back, silently berating herself as to how to continue. She pressed on the only conceivable way she could, cheeks flushing before she started speaking. "Jay is kind of a biter, if you catch my drift, and I didn't know that until this weekend. So what you see covered are bruised teeth marks."

His demeanor changed and his body relaxed knowing that nothing sinister was going on, he expressed in a friendly tone, "I'm glad that's all it is, you had me a little worried." He let his words sink in then continued, "So, you and this Jay, are you two serious or is just a convenience thing when you're home?"

_I can't believe I'm even about to answer this. JJ is going to stab me when she finds out_. "It's serious, no part of it is for convenience. We're both on the same page and want the same things." _Was that too much information?_

He flashed his charming smile and spoke sincerely, "I'm really happy for you Emily." Quickly, he changed his tone to more spirited, "You may want to work on the biting thing though. If Hotch notices he's going to ask as well and I'm sure you don't want to tell him about your weekend roll in the hay."

"Oh God, don't I know it." She sighed, leaning her head back against the seat and closing her eyes.

* * *

Emily excused herself for a moment at one of the homes of a victim's family feeling the need to give JJ a heads up of her earlier conversation with Derek.

"Agent Jareau." JJ replied professionally.

"Hey. It's me. Can we talk for a minute or are you busy." Emily queried quietly.

"Just give me a second to walk outside. What's up?"

"Well. I just wanted to give you the heads up on something. I'll understand if you're angry, and I'm sorry." She paused wondering exactly how to briefly explain the more important parts.

"What's going on? Is this a conversation we should be having in person?" Confusion evident in JJ's voice.

"No, but we can talk about it more later tonight if you want. Derek asked me about my neck. He said it was visible in the sun. He thought I was in an abusive relationship and I didn't want him pressing, so I told him that they're teeth marks."

"That's all? That's not anything for me to be mad over so stop worrying babe." JJ insisted, smiling into the phone.

"No, it's just that I was struggling to figure out what to say to him. You and I haven't talked about when to tell everyone, so I didn't want to just tell him and out us both without talking to you first. But I started to say your name because it just comes naturally. I just said the J, so I told him I'm seeing someone named Jay. And I know you told me I can't pretend there's anyone else I'm seeing so I'm trying to be honest about it." Emily rambled nervously.

"Hmm, so you have a boyfriend named Jay, huh?" JJ asked flirtatiously.

Sighing tragically, Emily replied, "I have a boyfriend named Jay, yes."

"I have to admit, I think it's humorous. I mean, yeah this could get messy really quickly, but you call me Jay often enough outside of the office that I'm comfortable with that being your pseudo-boyfriend's name. We can talk later about when and how to tell everyone."

"Ugh, you're so cruel for enjoying this," Emily affirmed, finally smiling that she wasn't in trouble.

"I love you. I gotta get back to work though. I'll see you later." JJ voiced, readying herself to end the call.

"Ok. I love you, too."

* * *

Three days later, the team had arrived back in Quantico from Raleigh. Emily opted to file her report from their most recent case before heading home. _Home._ Some place she hadn't been for more than 30 minutes total in the last 10 days.

Before she could begin, Derek sidled across the edge of her desk until he was a comfortable, conversational distance away. "Hey," he stated hesitantly.

"Um. Hey. Can I help you?" Emily asked, a little perplexed as to what he wanted.

"Hopefully. I was just wondering what you plan on doing for Jay for Valentine's Day. And since you seem to be the only person here in a stable relationship, maybe you could give me some ideas."

_He's asking me advice? What the fuck is this world coming to? _"I haven't given much thought to Valentine's Day. It's still a ways off, so I have time. And if you want a stable relationship, you might want to start with sleeping with the same woman twice. That helps; and they tend to appreciate it a call back. Girls you meet in bars aren't typically relationship material, Derek. Girls you meet at the coffee shop; those ones have potential. Do you see the difference?"

"A ways off?" he scoffed. "Have you looked at a calendar in the last month, Prentiss? It's February 1st. You have two weeks, which really means you probably have 3 days tops given our frequency of travel. Your advice is terrible by the way; work on it."

Emily retorted, "What makes my advice so terrible? There's truth to it. Spence might even give you some statistics on the success of meeting a worthwhile girl in a coffee shop over a bar."

Sighing, he restated, "Fine. Let me try this again a little clearer for the ones who can't read between metaphorical lines. Pretend that there's a someone. I need some sort of a small, I don't know, something, that says. 'I want to be your somebody.' And I need you to help me figure out what that _something_ is."

Emily furrowed her brow and argued disbelievingly, "Derek Morgan, have you gone soft? What the fuck was that shit you just said to me? I mean, really. You, self-proclaimed God's gift to women, wants to settle down with one of his conquests? I never thought I'd see this day."

"I'm being serious." He defended, appearing slightly hurt.

"So am I. So here you go. A dozen roses says you love somebody-in kind of an 'I don't have an ounce of creativity' sort of way, a card says you remembered, a letter says you care, a phone call says you're a friend, but I'm pretty sure they don't make anything that says 'I mean, I like you and stuff, but I just really want you to go down on me.'"

Derek shoved himself off of Emily's desk and vehemently spat, "She's not a conquest, Emily." Staring disgustedly at her for a moment, he continued, "I thought you might understand the desire to want to settle down considering your recent revelations, but forget it. I will figure it out on my own. Thanks, for absolutely nothing. See you tomorrow."

She called after him, "Derek! Wait!"

Still seething, "What could you possibly have to say now?"

"Tell her exactly what you just said to me. Tell her you want to be her somebody. Don't buy her a card, or flowers, or anything cliché like that. I'm not saying that because you've probably touched more women than Hallmark anyway; I'm saying it because that lacks originality and you can do better than that. If you want to do a card, write something yourself. I don't know, maybe make her dinner. Show her you're a good guy. And one more thing. Derek, I'm sorry for the things that I said about you. I didn't know you were ready to stop your partying, bad-boy ways. You deserve to be happy and I'm glad you found someone that you think you can be happy with."

"Thanks Prentiss. I've been ready for awhile, but it took seeing you do it to nudge me into action." He replied with a sincere smile before grabbing his jacket to head out.


	18. Food Pyramid

I'm not entirely sure how much longer I'm going to keep this one going. I guess let me know what you think.

The next few chapters were going to build some additional character qualities for JJ, since she doesn't have much of a personality as of yet but I don't know anymore. Hopefully this chapter won't be a great displeasure for all of you.

* * *

After the Raleigh case, Emily opted for going home to shower before heading over to JJ's place for the evening; repacking her go-bag in the process.

An hour later and a half later, she let herself in through the unlocked front door, and walked through the foyer before dropping her bag on the floor next to the kitchen table. "In your line of work Agent Jareau, I'd think you'd know better than to leave your front door unlocked." She declared as she walked into the living room.

"For your information, I saw you pull up and unlocked the door before sitting down. So don't go all bad-ass, over-protective, FBI agent on me."

"Alright." Comfortable enough with that explanation, she asked, "What do you want for dinner tonight? I tried calling because I was going to stop some place on the way over but you didn't answer. So I'm here, empty-handed, and that's your fault." She expressed jokingly.

"Sorry love, I must have been in the shower myself. As for dinner, I kind of just want to sit here and eat this chocolate chip cookie dough." JJ stated, stabbing her spoon back into the one-pound container of cookie dough.

"That's not a meal. Hell, that's not even a _real_ food." Emily stated disbelievingly as she took a seat on the opposite side of the couch flipping on the television for some ambient noise.

"Oh, right" JJ scoffed. "Because you didn't tell me just yesterday that a few weeks ago you ate an entire pound of bacon for dinner. Not a BLT. Not bacon and eggs. Just bacon, nothing else. What do you call that?"

"I call that 'utterly fantastic.' That's what that was. I mean, bacon should be a food group, and in some places I'm sure it probably is." Emily affirmed allowing a steadily comfortable silence to fall while they both became captivated by the preview of the night's Grey's Anatomy season finale.

Emily leaned over toward JJ and snatched the container from her unsuspecting hands. Peering at the label, "Who the hell is this Papa Murphy anyway? And where did you find him? I mean, I'll give the guy credit; the idea of selling cookie dough like this is interesting. I'm sure most people actually spoon the dough onto a pan and bake it, but why dirty the extra pan when you can just eat it with a spoon, right?" She sneered.

"It's that pizza place that was next to the police station in Raleigh. I didn't see the tiny lettering that said take and bake on the sign, so when I walked in the door I felt obligated to buy something. It was the only thing that you could actually eat right away. Oh my god though, that stuff is like an orgasm in your mouth; it's that good. You should try it." JJ commented, remembering how awkward she felt buying only cookie dough.

"Well, you know baby, if you wanted an orgasm in your mouth… we could work on that. You're pretty much already my favorite food group, so I'm down for an orgasm in my mouth, too." Emily quipped flirtatiously, settling the cookie dough on the coffee table before moving to straddle the blonde.

"Your filthy mind is gonna have to wait since I'm sure you're going to force me to eat something other than just cookie dough, and in case you've recently forgotten, we have plans in 40 minutes." JJ acknowledged nonchalantly before pushing Emily off of her to stand up to find her cordless phone. The same cordless phone that she probably forgot to charge before their last case.

"We do?" Emily asked, slightly mortified that she had forgotten their plans. Looking at her watch, _it's 8:21, what the hell are we doing at 9 pm?_

"Yes, we do. As of five minutes ago, we have a date with your gal pal, Dr. Bailey."

Delighted at the prospect of having not forgotten any real plans they'd made, "That works. And yes, you're eating something other than cookie dough for dinner tonight. I can just imagine if they'd let you re-design the food pyramid. There'd be bacon (admit it, you love it too,) cookie dough, and orgasms on it instead of fruits and grains. Because where's the fun in those things anyway, right?"

"Everyone would be like 700 pounds, though. Talk about not sexy." Cringing outwardly, "I see your point. No more of it tonight... I'll eat it tomorrow."

"But oh man, it would be so amazing getting to that 700-pound point, wouldn't it? I'd still have sex with you, baby." Emily joked.

"God, you're such an ass, I wouldn't even have sex with me." JJ stated flippantly.

"That's just because you'd be incapable." She said cheekily, avoiding a playful swat from JJ. "And speaking of ass, that cookie dough is gonna go straight to yours. I'm glad this Papa Murphy guy isn't local or your perfectly shaped ass would be in trouble."

"As much as I would love to rebut that, I almost forgot to ask you something. Let me get some food on the way first though."

A few short minutes later, JJ returned to the living room and fell lazily to a seated position on the sofa before grabbing a pillow to rest on her crossed legs.

"They said 20 minutes. Anyway, back to what I wanted to ask. I saw you talking to Derek when I was getting ready to leave work this evening. He looked pretty pissed off so I figured I'd wait in my office until the blaze died out. What happened?" JJ questioned accusingly, sure Emily had done something to set him off.

"You know how it is. I shoved my foot squarely into my mouth. Actually, I may have managed to fit both of them in this time." Emily claimed, appearing rather deflated.

"Care to elaborate?" JJ broached.

"I said something insensitive to him and offended him. We worked it out though."

"What did you say to him?"

Attempting to recall the events, Emily mentioned, "I don't even really remember now. I know he wants to spend Valentine's Day with a woman and he asked me for some advice. I wasn't receptive because I didn't think he was serious."

"Did you tell him that Valentine's Day is not the best day to pick up women?"

"No, I didn't; but I may as well have. See, you don't picture him in a relationship either, do you?" Emily asked seriously.

Replying in the same serious manner, "Not hardly."

Emily continued, "I must admit, he did seem genuine and was pretty adamant about her not being a conquest. Oh, that reminds me, I did call his one-night stands, 'conquests,' and that didn't sit well with him either."

"Well, that's what a one night stand typically is, isn't it? The truth hurts sometimes."

Their food arrived about 10 minutes 'til 9 and they frantically ate as though it was going to spoil at any moment. Once pleasantly full, Emily lay back with her head and shoulders propped on the arm of the sofa. JJ sprawled out between her legs, head resting on Emily's stomach, hand mindlessly playing with the material of Emily's shirt.

"Five minutes in and a Mercy Wester is dead. No great loss there." '_They certainly started with a bang; no pun intended.' _Smiling slightly at what she felt was a witty thought.

"How can you be so insensitive? Some girl just died." JJ said pushing herself up from Emily's body.

Grabbing her arms and pulling her back down, "Seriously? It's a tv show baby. That's how. And she was hardly of substantial interest to the story. In my opinion she had to die. It's the season finale, they don't want her on the show next season. Come on, love. Don't be mad. This is silly."

A comfortable silence and steady flow of events ensued. The silence broken shortly after 10 by the shrill of a cell phone ringing, startling both women.

"Who the hell is calling at this hour?" Emily inquired looking at her watch while JJ went to grab her phone from the kitchen counter.

"Probably my sister. I'm guessing she's watching too and that's why she waited for a commercial break." Her face falling as she caught the name and number of the caller. JJ held up her finger as if to say _'do not speak' _causing Emily to move to a standing position.

"Agent Jareau." She greeted, followed by a brief pause then, "Yeah, it was on my desk today... No, I haven't looked at it, we just got back... How many…? Yeah, I think so too… Ok, I'll make the calls and gather the team. Thanks Anderson."

"We have another case? For real? It's 10:15 at night and we haven't even been home for 8 hours." Emily asked then defended begrudgingly.

"Yeah, in Mississippi. And I know it sucks, trust me you don't need to try to convince me. I don't know most of the details but it must be pretty serious that it can't wait until morning."

Grabbing their bags for another few days away, they walked out of the house hand in hand. Stopping at JJ's car, Emily placed several kisses to the blonde's lips before breaking the embrace. They drove separate vehicles and met up again when JJ sat down next to Emily.

Bypassing any formal greeting, JJ whispered with seriousness evident, "They better not kill off McDreamy. If they do, I'm never watching that show again."

Emily chuckled a little, before whispering back, "You're so full of shit, and we both know it. They could kill off the entire cast other than Callie and Arizona and you'd still watch them to see them dance around the fact that they're still in love with each other."

"Shut up," JJ responded petulantly, "I hate you for always being right."

Emily, tempted to respond, was unable to as Rossi sat down across from them offering them both a polite hello.


	19. Touch Me

**A/N 1: **This ending was inspired solely by listening to the song _Dirty Little Girl_ by Burn Halo on repeat for 3 hours, so if you like the story then you may like the song. Who knows.

**A/N 2:** livmissy, maybe you shouldn't read this one from work. Just a caution, but it's all up to you.

* * *

Emily and JJ sat down in a small café in rural Mississippi, hands intertwined atop the table, talking quietly between themselves for several minutes. The lovers opted to take time out to grab some lunch; so far the team didn't have a whole lot of information to work with, making things progress slowly.

A stocky, African-American woman, roughly 36 if they were to guess, approached smiling warmly, "What can I get you two ladies today?" After speaking she noticed their interlocked hands.

"I'll have a cheeseburger with cajun mashed potatoes and she'll have the southwestern chicken salad." Emily responded, before adding, "Oh, and she's kind of finicky, you may just want to bring an extra dressing, too. If not, she'll ask for it even if she doesn't plan to use it." Emily cast a grin toward JJ who had her lips parted in a wide smile of her own.

The waitress just stood for several seconds staring at their joined hands, not writing down their order before closing it, "Are you two," she spoke uncomfortably, "sisters?"

JJ spoke up indignantly, "Do we look like sisters? I mean, is incest the _in-thing_ down here?"

The waitress said stammering unable to make eye contact with either agent, "No, no, absolutely not. You two look… sisterly is all."

JJ continued in her previous tone, "Oh? Is that right? Come off it lady. I can see you waving your flag of hatred at us right now."

Emily intervened in an attempt to diffuse the situation. "Honey, it's Ok. Just let it go. We don't have to stay; we can have lunch somewhere else. Let's not make a scene." She inched along the booth to leave.

Pointing a finger at Emily, with a look in her eye that said _don't even dream of stopping me now_, "Sit. This one is mine, so quiet you."

Slowly drifting her gaze to their waitress. "Sandy is it?" Getting no response, JJ continued. "I guess it's a good thing I can read then, huh Sandy? You sure know how to make people feel warm and welcome. For someone who had virtually no rights in this country less than 50 years ago, I'm surprised that you, of all the people in this restaurant, would choose to violate our right to sit in a public restaurant and order our lunch in peace."

Seeming to illicit no response, she continued, "It's your small-minded, back-woods, Republican ways that made me want to leave the small town I grew up in. I assume you have children, is that right?" Pausing briefly to gauge her eyes; they were telling. "You appeared motherly for the first 12 seconds you were in our presence. That was, until you opened your mouth. I hope when one of your children reaches adulthood, they inform you that they're gay, because I want you to remember this conversation on that day when you choose your ignorance over your child's happiness. Oh, by the way, you may want to sterilize this booth; I hear that gay germs are highly contagious." Looking back to Emily with a flirtatious smile, "Come on baby, let's go."

Walking hand in hand, out of the diner, they walked to their SUV along the front windows. Feeling eyes on her, Emily turned to meet the hate-filled gaze of Sandy, before grasping JJ into a hug. "She's still watching. This one's for her," Emily pitched while leaning her head in for a kiss.

After reaching the SUV and taking up residence inside, Emily spoke again. "We're both going to hell for this, you realize that right?"

"We stamped our one-way ticket to hell after our trip to the movies the other night. I'm not at all concerned." JJ offered with a sly smile.

Reality settling in, JJ spoke again, more softly this time. "Maybe I should have thought that completely through considering I have a press conference to do later on today. That was just the first time I really felt _violated_ by someone without merit."

"Don't worry about it, babe. We should probably figure out how much longer we're going to keep this a secret though because at this rate it's not going to last long." Emily baited, inserting the key into the ignition.

"I know, and I'm sorry love." JJ supplied with a gentle squeeze of her lover's hand.

"Honestly, I kind of like the shroud of secrecy. I'm not sure I'm ready for Strauss right now. I also need to tell my mother before any of them or she's bound to find out before I tell her. What about you?"

JJ lifted the armrest of the passenger seat, and swung her legs toward the center. "What do I think…?" She paused to lean herself to Emily's ear before whispering, "I think I'm so wet right now. I want you to touch me." She ordered, "Put your hand on me. Feel how wet I am."

Emily skeptically reached out, then rest her hand on JJ's crotch.

A surge went through her at Emily's touch, JJ moaned closing her eyes, "Oh babe, that's making me even more wet."

Emily's hand jerked back in surprise. They were still seated in the parking lot of the diner in broad daylight. She spared a moment to look around to make sure there wasn't anyone near by.

"Are you as wet as me, baby? Please tell me that you're at least a little wet, because otherwise I'd have to shoot myself for not being able to turn you on." JJ asked seductively.

Her hand gleamed in the light coming through the front windshield. After the initial surprise of how wet JJ was, she placed her hand back on her sex, cupping her with her palm. She could feel the heat through the two layers of cloth.

Leaning her head back against the head rest, she responded, "You're Ok baby. You'll live a little bit longer. I'm definitely wet." Pulling her hand away unsteadily, to shift into gear and pull out of the parking stall, she breathed, "Just not as wet as you make me when you touch me."

Taking the bait, JJ held herself up with her left hand on the headrest, right hand starting to do a dance with Emily's covered cunt: she pressed harder, Emily responded by moaning animatedly, making JJ press harder again, while Emily gushed against her.

It was complete torture. Why was she doing this to herself? Emily wasn't entirely fond of such teasing self-denial behind the wheel of a vehicle, but if it's all that she could get then she'd take it.

She concentrated maleficiently on the road and worked just as hard to control her breathing. JJ was driving her crazy, yet she felt she'd die if she stopped touching her.

"Touch yourself." Emily commanded.

JJ's eyes grew wide.

"Touch yourself," she repeated sternly, "with your other hand. Open your legs and touch yourself for me."

In her peripheral vision, she watched as JJ moved to unbutton and unzip her pants. Pushing her slacks and panties down, she moved back to rest her knees to the side of the driver's seat for support, her left hand hesitating over her thighs. Then, slowly her legs opened and she stroked between them with her index finger, running it along her slit.

"That's so hot," Emily gasped as she remembered doing that herself. Sliding her finger along the silky opening, tender and fascinating, puffy and pink like a fleshy little flower.

Her fingers tightened around the steering wheel. The muscles in her thighs pulled, hard, and a line of liquid heat raced down her spine to her wet, hot pussy. For a moment, she thought she might come as JJ rubbed her through her pants. She managed to pull back from the edge, shaking, with her jaw clenched.

JJ ran her fingers up and back down against Emily's sex while continuing to stroke her own.

"Wow," she said, glancing sideways, "something almost happened just then." Emily's jaw clenched again.

"Yeah, it did." JJ added smugly.

Jeopardizing a full glance at JJ, she panted "You little witch. That better have excited you."

"Oh, it did baby," she affirmed softly. Thighs opening wider, Emily could hear the wet sounds as JJ pushed her finger inside herself, then pulled it out slowly. "I am very, very ready."

Another big, swift kick to her aroused system, Emily started free-falling to orgasm. _No! Not here, not now, not yet. _She mustered all of her self-control and dragged herself back from the edge, again.

They were to the hotel. _Finally._

"Pull up your pants and get your key card ready. I'm going to drop you off at the door, park, and I'll meet you inside."

JJ was fast. By the time Emily made it to the entrance, her jacket and pants was buttoned and positioned properly. She whispered "I'm looking forward to this," as she stepped out.

Emily smiled at her, "not as much as I am baby." JJ jumped out and hurried inside and Emily drove to park in the closest stall.

Her senses were heightened. Her skin, hot damn, her skin felt supercharged. Just one gigantic erogenous zone from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. The particles in the air felt like pebbles pinging off of her skin. Emily felt the seam of her pants rubbing against her protruding clit.

She made her way through the walkway and waited at the elevator. There were others waiting, including JJ, but there were no other options. She felt taking the stairs may cause too much friction in her pants and she'd come before they got to floor four.

A second after she was inside the room door, she had JJ held up against the door, hands both submerged in her hair, cradling her skull, kissing her wildly.

JJ's hand went to Emily's pants to free her lover. It brought little relief, but it was better rubbing against JJ's softness than against her dress pants.

"Take your pants off," Emily whispered against JJ's mouth. "Quick."

Holding Emily's gaze, JJ unzipped her pants letting them fall to her ankles, shoving her panties down. She toed her boots off, yanked her pants over her feet and tossed them to the side. Frantically removing buttons, she managed to open her shirt and shake her arms loose. She unclasped her bra as Emily pinned her back to the door again.

Emily lifted JJ slightly off the floor, stepping between her legs, lifting her left foot to rest on the luggage holder for support. JJ opened for her, throwing her right leg over Emily's thigh, an instinctual welcoming gesture, and Emily's fingers plunged past soft pubic hair.

Emily gritted her teeth. She was completely naked, with her fingers thrust inside of JJ. Emily didn't need any additional arousing; it felt as though steam was billowing off of her as it was. However, the sight of the naked body pressed against her own shattered the small amount of control she still had.

Cupping JJ's ass with her right hand, she gasped. "Are you ready?"

After a grunt, JJ huffed. "God yes baby. Fuck me. Fuck me now!"

That was all the encouragement she needed. Emily pushed off the luggage rack with the ball of her foot, attempting to open her lover wider before slamming her four fingers inside, hard and fast. JJ shook, letting her forehead droop onto her lover's shoulder. She could take the four fingers; she'd done her own foreplay in the SUV. This was going to work.

Emily breathed hard, lungs shrieking, trembling; trying to hold on to her control. JJ's pussy grasped her fingers like a warm, wet fist. She knew that JJ needed a few moments to adjust before fucking her.

JJ's tilted her head back against the door, her long and slender neck exposed. At this moment, Emily understood vampires, totally. Understood precisely what made them tick. JJ's neck was a bite magnet, positively made for being bitten.

Shifting her head, Emily brought her lips to JJ's throat, licking her, then biting her. A delicate, yet hard pinch right over where her heartbeat pulsed.

JJ jolted, gasping. At the same time, her cunt constricted around Emily's fingers, tight and hot causing the brunette's entire body to clench back before she lost control.

Mouth still attached to JJ's throat, she started thrusting in and out feverishly, holding her up with the weight of her body; keeping her legs spread with her leg and free hand. She was spread completely open with Emily's fingers buried inside.

JJ's back thumped against the solid door. Too hard. Emily was being too hard on her but she couldn't stop herself. It felt like she'd been waiting forever to fuck her like this; as though a dam had just burst.

She had no idea if she could stop if JJ asked her to; her body had taken over entirely trying extremely hard to pump her hand in as deeply into her body as it would possibly go. As if she were trying to reach through and grab her belly button.

It was too much, too intense. Emily's heart beat raced, sweat poured down her back.

"Oh fuck, I'm gonna cum!" Emily choked.

She picked up the pace momentarily, the imminent orgasm swelling inside of her and then she erupted coming ferociously, in waves, shuddering and moaning.

Emily's orgasm sent JJ over the edge with a reckless cry. JJ started coming, the small contractions around the still buried fingers drawing both of their climaxes out a bit longer. She gave one last hard thrust with her hand before leaning heavily against JJ. Panting, knees so weak she had to stiffen them not to fall. Slowly, her senses came back and she could hear her heavy breathing in the quiet room.

Her fingers were clutching the soft cheeks of JJ's ass so hard she was sure it would leave bruises. She loosened her titan grip, one finger at a time. This task was especially hard to do. She was keeping JJ against the wall by her weight alone; the rest of her body's strength gone. Lowering her left foot to the floor then stepping back slightly, she allowed JJ to slip down the door until her feet touched the floor.

Emily took the moment to slip her hand out from the hot depths. She didn't want to, but she knew she had to. The blonde was already going to be sore, only to be worsened by the prolonged length she stayed inside.

After she lifted her head, she found that she'd been sucking on JJ's neck so hard while coming that she'd left a hickey. She should be ashamed knowing JJ had a press conference to do in roughly 3 hours. She should, but she wasn't. It looked good on her neck, like a brand of sorts; a message to Mississippi.

_All mine._


	20. Make History

**A/N:** This is only half of what I was planning on getting finished, but I need to sleep. As always, read & review if you're awesome.

* * *

10 days and two finished cases later, the team arrived back in Quantico, both mentally drained and physically exhausted. It's a good thing drinking doesn't take physical strength.

Derek offered, "Are you three lovely ladies interested in a few drinks and maybe some dancing before heading home? I've got the first round." Looking at his watch before peering at Emily, "I know you can't turn down an offer for free drinks. It would appear that you have 5 hours and 14 minutes before Valentine's Day officially arrives. Romeo can wait."

"Yeah Em, come on out for a few drinks. I've got the second round. Give _Romeo_ some time to sharpen his fangs." JJ added, with extra emphasis to the name.

Emily cast a _'don't even think about biting me again' _glare at JJ before replying, "Fine. I'm in. And Jay can sharpen his fangs; I threatened to buy him a muzzle."

Garcia charmed clapping her hands excitedly, "Ooooh, my three favorite people, all in the same place. Count me in."

Two hour later, the quad could be seen sitting at a small table drinking their third round of beers, chatting, and laughing animatedly.

Derek broke through the friendly, light-hearted chattering, "So when do we get to meet lover boy, Emily?"

Emily turned the tables, without answering. "Well, that depends. When are we going to meet lover girl?"

"Whoa, wait a minute. Derek? Is she serious? You have a girlfriend and didn't tell me? What the hell is with telling Emily over me?" Garcia interrupted, clearly hurt that he'd tell Emily and not her. Looking at Emily, "no offense, honey, but I assumed he'd tell his so-called best friend."

"None taken," Emily remarked.

"This isn't exactly where, when, and certainly not how I pictured having this conversation. No. I don't have a girlfriend. I asked Emily for some advice. And in my eyes currently, she's pretty much terrible at reading between the lines. If she had, then she would have known who I was talking about."

Eyes widening, realization dawned on Emily. _Oh, fuck me. He would have just gone to Penelope if it wasn't her. _Grabbing JJ by the arm to drag her away,"We're going to go grab some beers. Be back in a bit."

"But," Penelope raised her beer to their retreating forms, finally finding her words when the pair was out of range. She returned the drink to the table, mumbling to herself, "Mine is still three-quarters full."

Taking Penelope's hands in his, he spoke with quiet confidence, "Penelope. I know that you're feeling hurt right now, but just hear me out, okay?"

"Okay, go on then. Show me what you got." She replied.

Trying to figure out what to say, he started slowly: "I'm 35 years old. I'm tired of coming home to an empty house after a long case. I'm tired of pretending that the game is enough for me. I want lazy Saturdays and even lazier Sundays, with you. I want to see you hiccup yourself awake in the morning, not just hear about it after the fact. I want to pick your steamed rice out of my sheets for days after we eat leftover Chinese take out at 3 am. I want to make memories with you. I want to make _history_ with you. And I want you to say you want it. I want you to say it and mean it. To me and for me and because of me. Because everything I do is for you. I want to hear it with my own two ears and think it is the most wonderful sounding phrase in the world. I want to stop all these guessing games and just know. I want to know. I want what may be impossible because all I want is you."

Penelope sniffled for several seconds before replying, "Do you mean it? All of it?"

Squeezing her hands for reassurance, "Yes Baby Girl, I meant all of it."

Lip quivering trying to hold back more tears, Penelope expressed, "I want all of those things too. I want all of those things with you."

JJ and Emily had watched from across the fairly crowded bar and walked back over after Derek and Garcia broke from their first kiss as a couple.

"Is everything good over here?" JJ asked as they approached the table.

"Good? More like uber-fantastic." Garcia grinned staring up at Morgan.

Emily and JJ each bought a round of celebratory shots before Derek and Garcia went to his place so he could let Clooney out. Or so was their reason.

JJ and Emily enjoyed several more drinks together before taking a cab to JJ's; it was closer.

Emily awoke shortly after 8 am with JJ's cheek stuck to her naked stomach. Squinting to find the top of the sheet covering the two of them, she lifted it up to find that they were both completely naked. _No surprise, but what the hell did I do?_

JJ shook Emily and called out in irritation, "Emily. What the fuck is that noise?"

Grabbing a pillow to cover her head, "God baby stop yelling, I feel like sewer."

"I'm not yelling, Drunky. Are you even listening to me? What the hell is that noise?" JJ asked, growing displeased.

"What did you do to me last night? And why do I feel like you repeatedly smashed my head in a car door?" Emily asked oblivious to the world around her.

"I'm going to if you don't listen to me. You look pretty rough too; what did I tell you about mixing hard liquor and beer?"

Pushing JJ out of bed, "Baby, go find out what that sound is and shut it off so I can go back to sleep. My brain is going to explode. Literally."

Picking herself up off the floor, JJ advised. "It better not. I didn't sign up for cleaning that shit up when we started dating."

After several seconds of looking outside the window, she crawled back into bed smirking. "Well baby, it looks like the city is breaking apart the street with a jackhammer because they know you're hung over."

Emily voiced in agitation, "Are you fucking kidding me? It's a Saturday. In February. Don't they have the whole damned summer for that? What time is it anyway?"

"It's actually Sunday baby," peering behind her at the alarm clock, "and it's 8:11 am."

"Fuck my life. Don't those sonzabitches have anything better to do?"

"Clearly they don't. They hate you and are out to get you, honey." JJ snickered, "It's Valentine's Day though, so even though it's your turn to make breakfast, I'll do it. I'll bring you something for your head too. Anything else?"

Discomfort evident on her face, she demanded, "Gimme kiss."

JJ moved around the side of the bed Emily was on, and ran her fingers through her hair before kissing her. "I love you, even if you were a complete grouch and pushed me out of bed." With that, she moved to head out of the room.

A few minutes later JJ was back with a glass of juice and ibuprofen. "The news says it's a water mane break, so you get juice, and take these."

"Thanks," Emily said swallowing the pills without water.

Contorting her face, "Ugh, I don't know how you can do that."

"It's not hard, I'm not exactly sure how I can do it today though, considering my mouth feels as dry as the Sahara," Emily joked trying to pry herself out of bed, resigned to knowing there would be no going back to bed now. "I should probably skip the breakfast though and just head home, I have a few Valentine's-shindig preparatory things I need to do before you come over. I was hoping to do so last night, but I'm sure I had fun doing whatever."

"What time should I come over?" JJ inquired.

"How's noon? That'll give me time to get home, shower, then run an errand, and get back. Who knows, I might have to clean up, too. I don't really even remember the state of my condo." Emily rambled off her list of tasks.

"Okay, I'll see you at noon. Should I plan on spending the night?"

"I wasn't planning on kicking you out of bed, if that's what you're asking." Emily bantered suggestively.

"Oh shit, I just realized both of our vehicles are still at the bar. Let me call a cab to pick us up and we can ride over together."

Confused, Emily spoke, "We took a cab here last night? Really? Wow, must have been some night."

"You shouldn't drink top-shelf long islands; I know they taste good, but you get hungry, then a little too horny even for me, and then you start to talk way, way too much. I was going to shove a sock in your mouth last night so I could sleep, but that's something you'd do, not me."

Winking, Emily jabbed, "You're right, I'll keep that in mind later when you're attempting to wake my neighbors."


	21. Property of JJ

**A/N 1:** Read and review if you rock. I feel highly unmotivated when people don't take the 15 seconds it would take, even if you're not registered.

**A/N 2: **Since my girlfriend now reads this, I toned it back just a tad so it's not as over the top as I was going to make it. I can't let her start expecting anything of me, you know?

* * *

Emily made it home and showered quickly so she could run her errand before returning to complete her preparation.

She walked in the front door of a small, local florist that she'd placed an order with over a week prior. Tapping lightly on the counter, looking around for any signs of a human life-form; she began wandering around. _Interesting, I'm the only last minute shopper in need of flowers._ Finally, after several minutes of waiting with descendants of the vegetable kingdom, a human approached.

"Hello, ma'am. Can I help you?" The middle-aged female spoke politely.

Emily replied evenly, head still throbbing from her hang-over, "Oh hi, yes, thanks. I placed an order last week. It should be under Emily Prentiss."

"Just a moment, let me go find that for you." The florist called out as she retreated into the back.

A minute or two later, she re-appeared. Speaking apologetically, "I'm sorry, but we don't have anything for an Emily or a Prentiss."

Emily huffed, "Are you serious? After I spent nearly 20 minutes on the phone with that nit-wit last week explaining exactly what I needed, you're going to tell me that I need to find something else?"

"As I said ma'am, I'm terribly sorry, but it appears there may have been a mix up with your order. Was there anything else I could interest you with? Maybe I could help you put something together."

Acrimoniously speaking, "Okay, whatever, I don't have time for this. Just give me one of these white ones over here, and one of these red ones. I have a better idea anyway." She stated pointing to the flowers she wanted.

"So you'd like one-dozen white roses, and one-dozen red roses. Correct?" The florist confirmed.

"What? No. That's not what I said. I said one. Meaning one single white rose and one single red rose." Emily was beside herself with how difficult this process was becoming.

"I'm sorry to tell you this, but there is a minimum of a dozen roses per purchase when not creating an arrangement. You'll have to purchase more than just the two. Would you like to make a few other selections?"

"What the hell kind of a scam are you running here, lady? First you '_misplace'_ my order, now this." Emily seethed, "You know what. I don't care, just give me 6 of each. But for as much as I'm about to spend, if you can take one red and one white and twist the stems around each other, it'll make this entirely awful experience worth it. Then I can get out of here."

"So you just want me to wrap this stem around this one?" The florist pointed at the stems, looking at Emily as though it was the most absurd thing she'd ever heard.

"No. I want you to twist them both so there's less stress on the one stem. Then if you have some rubber bands, I want you to band them in several places to hold them until I get them home. Now can we just get on with it? I'm kind of short on time as it is." Emily sighed, no longer angry just frustrated.

"Sure, I can try." The florist stated as she began quickly twisting the stems together until she heard one snap.

"Its fine, it's not like I don't have more to spare, right. Twist them slower this time." Emily spoke politely once again, slowly removing the tension from the room.

"Might I ask why you want me to do this?" The florist asked curiously.

"You're awfully nosy," glancing at her name tag for the first time, "Amy, but if it'll get it done right, then fine. I want them twisted together to signify them growing together, as if these roses are two different people both making compromises and because of that they can continue to grow together. Unlike twisting one around the other, one would get too stressed and break; similar to an unhealthy relationship. And you've already seen what happens when you rush to finish the ending before the ending is ready to be written. So, does that answer your question?"

"Yes, it does and I'm impressed, Ms. Emily. You're a thoughtful one. Hopefully this gentleman understands the significance you're portraying and the work you're putting into it."

"Oh, she will. She definitely will." Emily replied lovingly.

The two worked together to take care of this task: florist Amy twisting and Emily positioning rubber bands to remove in a few hours. After paying for the dozen roses, Emily took her creation home and dropped it on the kitchen counter along with the rest of the unused roses. Checking her watch, it was 11:03 am. It was much later than she had anticipated; now she had work to do.

JJ arrived shortly after noon, with a bottle of wine, a small-ish wrapped gift, and a larger wrapped gift. Emily buzzed her in and greeted her at the door with a kiss.

"Hey babe, how was the drive?" Emily asked eying JJ pointedly.

Entering the condo, "It was good once I got out of the mess of public works vehicles in front of my house. And for you? How was your morning?" JJ countered with a smile.

Without expression, "Oh, you know. The damnedest thing happened to me today. I was taking care of an errand, getting help from an associate, when she noticed my hands." Emily replied holding both of her hands up. One palm said 'PROPERTY OF JJ' while the other said 'PROPERTY OF JAY' in permanent marker. "As I'm sure you could imagine, I tried washing it off. What on Earth possessed you to brand me with something not washable?"

"Let the record state that you were very much an awake and willing participant in last nights festivities. In fact, you're the one that told me to put JJ on that one." She stated pointing at Emily's left hand. "Besides, you rather liked being my property last night."

Emily smirked, "I wish I remembered, but that's beside the point. The point is I can't get this off of my skin, so people are bound to find out. And as the not entirely intoxicated one, you should have vetoed my right to make stupid choices."

"So what. I guess that just means you better tell your mother soon. It's not like either one of us is any good at keeping our hands to ourselves anyway." JJ acquiesced.

Emily concluded, "Alright. I guess you're right. It was foolish to think we'd stay in hiding for any great length of time. The up side is that I wouldn't really have to sneak into your hotel room at night anymore."

JJ walked over to her lover and gave her a lazy hug and a kiss before taking a step back, "I was hoping you'd see it my way, but in case you didn't. Jay wanted me to give you this gift." smiling shyly, whilst turning a little red.

"Oh he did, did he?" Emily probed flirtatiously while opening the wrapping paper, then opening the box. Unable to take her eyes off of said item, Emily pulled the strap-on out and stared at it.

Retorting playfully, JJ confirmed, "Yes, he did. And he said if you're good, he'll show you how it works."

"Mmm that sounds rather hot; though it looks bigger than I would have expected." Running her fingers lightly over the length of the dildo, "As much as I love your fingers, they are rather narrow and short in consideration to the size of this."

JJ replied amorously with a kiss, "You'll be fine baby. I'll be gentle and take good care of you. Besides, if you think that's big then there's lots of room to expand our sex lives."

Emily kissed her back, "I look forward to it."

Pulling Emily by her hand to the sofa, she explained "I only have one more gift for you because I know you're not really into receiving materialistic gifts. Do you want it now or later?"

"It's up to you. I have a few for you too." Emily replied nonchalant.

Nervously JJ stated "We can get mine out of the way in a little bit, although you might think it's kind of stupid idea."

Emily concluded, "I hardly think I'd call any gift of yours _stupid,_ Jennifer."

Several minutes of silence was broken by JJ's vocal intrusion, "knock, knock."

Emily replied sarcastically, "You're kidding right?"

Shaking her head, "You suck. Knock, knock."

Sighing, "Who's there?"

"Interrupting cow."

"Interrupting cow-"

Abruptly, JJ confirmed, "moo," then just as quickly, "knock, knock."

Emily played along again, replying, "Who's there now?"

"Interrupting starfish."

"Interrupting star-"

And before she could finish, JJ covered Emily's face with her five fingers momentarily, mimicking the appearance of a starfish, before lifting her palm to press their lips together. When she broke the kiss, she replied with a sad undertone, "I'm just a little nervous you're going to think it's really stupid."

"Honey, I'm not gonna think it's stupid. Look at me, would you?" Waiting for JJ to look at her, she continued, "Now why am I going to think it's stupid?"

"I don't know. It sounded like a good idea before I got here. Now I'm just not so sure."

Knowing there would be no talking her down from this ledge until after she opened it, "Okay then, let me be the judge." She continued unwrapping the hand-length, narrow box. It was velvety and black. _Bracelet, necklace, something similar, _she presumed. Once she opened it, there was a chain with a skeleton key attached to it. JJ spoke before she had a chance to ask.

"It's a key that my sister gave me after Matt died. She told me that it would help me to keep my heart safe because I could lock it up until I was ready to let someone else inside. And for when I was ready to love another person without fear. I put it on a chain and wore it for several years, until I realized I shouldn't ever put a key that close to the lock. Anyway, now you really do have the key to locking and unlocking my heart."

Emily pulled her younger blonde into an embrace, "And why exactly was I going to think that's stupid? I think it's beautiful and thoughtful." Smirking, she continued "A tad sappy, but beautiful none-the-less. Thank you, baby."

* * *

Penelope phoned JJ later that afternoon, not caring that her and Emily could be "busy" with one another. Luckily for her the two weren't. Instead they were just cuddled on the sofa talking about nothing of importance.

"What's up Pen?" JJ greeted.

"I just called to tell you about my amazing night." Garcia exclaimed happily.

"Oh my god, you spent the night with him? I didn't know you had it in you. Tell me. How was it?"

"If you're asking whether or not I had sex with him, then no, I didn't. Rein those hormones in tiger." Garcia replied jokingly.

Laughing, JJ replied, "Sorry, but you know, some things I just can't help."

"I know, I get it. Anyway, I just left his house after spending the night in his bed. He was just there with his perfect head against the pillow, his long dark legs curled with mine between the sheets. The whole bed smelled like him."

"It should. It's his bed, Pen." JJ teased.

"Shut up, you." Garcia retorted before gushing, "He and I watched a cheesy, scary horror movie. We just laughed at it while cuddling together in his room. And it was late when the movie was over so I didn't drive home. I slept on the bed, and his intention was to sleep on the sofa, but we were there together so he didn't. He went to sleep with the crown of his head against the nape of my neck. JJ, his breath felt so warm and sweet on my skin. Then he made me breakfast at one in the afternoon and we talked about everything. He's so fabulous."

JJ smiled genuinely while replying, "I'm really happy for you Pen. I'm glad to hear your night and day thus far have been so great."

"Thank you Gumdrop. Tell Emily I haven't forgotten her request and I'm on my way over." Garcia acknowledged cryptically.

"Uh, yeah, sure." She turned to Emily dropping the phone from her mouth a bit, "Hey Creeper, Garcia is on her way over, and she hasn't forgotten your request."

"Thanks Garcia." Emily suggested, loud enough for Garcia to hear.

"I'll see you two love birds in about 30 minutes. Time to jet though." She stated, hanging up abruptly.

JJ closed her phone while speaking, "We've got 30 minutes until she arrives."

"Alright, I guess I can go grab your gifts now and get that out of the way." Emily affirmed before heading back to her bedroom.

"First, I wanted to give you this." Emily approached with her intertwined rose montage. She lowered herself in front of JJ, resting on the balls of her feet. "I thought this would be the best way I could symbolize us. You're the white rose, even though they symbolize purity and innocence, and you are far from being pure or innocent." Emily teased, leaning in to give JJ a kiss. "I'm just kidding, baby. I know you love them, and I love you. I chose the red for me because it contrasts the white and you and I are individual people and complement each other nicely. Either one can stand out against the other, kind of like us."

JJ cupped Emily's cheeks in her hands and kissed her, "Aww. Even when you tease me incessantly, I can't possibly be mad at you when you say things like that. I love this." She said before grasping the intertwined roses. "You're amazing, Emily Prentiss."

"Thanks love, now I'll be right back again." She said moving to stand up once more to grab something from her pocket.

"This one is just kind of an after thought. It's something that I could do any day of the year, but I want you to have it now." Emily grabbed JJ's hand and turned the palm facing up before placing two keys into her palm, "I know tonight will be the first time you spend the night here, but I want you to have a key. You can let yourself in instead of having to wait for me to buzz you in. Besides, it's cold out there."

"Thanks Em. You'll have to show me which one is the building key, and which one is the condo key though." JJ replied sheepishly grinning at the keys in her palm.

Nodding her understanding, "Oh, I almost forgot. I also tossed some of my clothes I never wear in a spare closet to make you some room in my own so that you have somewhere to put some work clothes if you want. You know, so you feel comfortable and aren't living out of a go-bag when you stay over. There's a drawer in the bathroom open for you too."

"Wow, you sure know how to make me feel like a shitty girlfriend baby." JJ replied half-serious. "We've spent every night that we've been in the area at my house, and you don't even have a key to it or anywhere to put your things."

Emily hugged the blonde, "That's not how I intended to make you feel, love. I just want you to feel like you belong here. Besides, I know it's harder for you to let me in because of your history. That's why I don't mind staying at your house all the time; it's your comfort zone." With a kiss, she continued, "I wanted to try to make you feel as comfortable here."

"I am comfortable here. Now lay down with me and kiss me until Garcia gets here." JJ demanded grabbing Emily's shirt and pulling her down.

"Mmm," Emily moaned lightly as JJ's thigh contacted her center; she repositioned herself so she was resting firmly with the blonde's legs around her, but attempting to ensure this make out session doesn't get too heavy.

Twenty minutes later, Garcia greeted both women, dropped off another gift bag, and then left.

"What's in the bag?" JJ asked curious.

"It's a present for you. Are you ready?" Emily prankishly replied.

Mischievously, she countered "Aren't I always? And I mean that in more than one way."

"I like how that sounds. But let us take care of this matter first." Emily joked.

JJ opened the bag and pulled out something she would have never expected.

Eyes widening, "Where did you get this? I mean, I know where you got it, but HOW?"

Grasping the blonde around her waist, Emily explained. "Well, as it turns out, Papa Murphy is kind of a big deal and the interwebs are an amazing place. I ordered you some of that fantastic cookie dough online and had it over-night delivered to Garcia in case we got called away. It would be my luck that I'd order it and we'd have to leave. Then instead of cookie dough I could give you salmonella for Valentine's Day. Romantic, isn't it?"

"Gosh, I love you Emily Prentiss. You are so getting laid tonight."

Smirking devilishly, "I know."

* * *

**A/N 3:** No, they're not moving in together any time soon. Stop worrying, that's not how I operate. The next chapter is clearly going to be the consummation of the evening, so for anyone who reads at work… well there's your warning.


	22. Black Velvet

**A/N:** I'm terribly sorry for not updating for a week. I had a nearly impossible deadline on a time-consuming project at work, and finals as well. Both are officially over, so now you're stuck with me again.

* * *

_"Gosh, I love you Emily Prentiss. You are so getting laid tonight."_

_Smirking devilishly, "I know."_

"Before we get to all of that though love, what are we having for dinner?" JJ questioned.

"Ahh yes, dinner. Well, I could tell you what it is but I don't think it'll do any good." Emily said grinning.

JJ raised an eyebrow, "Try me. I might surprise you."

Emily replied smugly, "Ok then. We're having arista alla Fiorentina with schiacciata all'Olio."

"Sometimes I hate you for speaking 207 different languages." JJ laughed to herself at her minuscule over-exaggeration.

"Aww, my poor baby. It's rosemary roast pork Florentine and fresh Tuscan bread. I know how you like your greens though, so we'll have salad with all that junk you like too."

"Sounds perfect. Need me to do anything?" JJ inquired, intrigued by the rather vague food descriptions for having such fancy names.

"Well, how about you take your go-bag and the rest of the stuff from the table and put it in my bedroom. I think it's just my mail and the rest is the things you brought." Emily grinned at the thought of the things JJ had brought.

"Speaking of, I'll put the wine in the freezer for a little bit since I'm sure it's warm." JJ placed the bottle inside the freezer before retreating to the back of the condo with the remainder of the items.

She grabbed her toothbrush and a few other necessities out of her go bag to put into the bathroom. When walking into the bathroom, she noticed Emily had written her a message on the bathroom mirror.

It simply said, "I love you Jennifer Jareau. You bring the best out of me every single day. Even when you write on surfaces not meant to be written on." Her heart swelled and she smirked, knowing she was intended to find the irony of this situation.

After affixing a prop to Emily's headboard for later use, she walked nonchalantly back into the kitchen where Emily was wrapping the pork to bake for the next hour and 15 minutes. "All ready to cook? That was quick."

Emily confirmed without looking up while placing the food into the oven, "Yep, it's pretty straight-forward. I made the dough for the bread earlier. It only takes about 30 minutes so I'll deal with cooking that later. Now, all I need to do is cut some vegetables up for your salad." She finished explaining while grabbing a knife to start cutting vegetables.

JJ playfully changed the subject, "How is it that you get away with writing in black marker on the bathroom mirror, but I get in a little trouble for writing on your hands? Which, might I add, you didn't thank me for."

Emily looked up and met JJ's eyes and continued smiling. "I wrote in dry erase marker. It'll come off. You wrote in permanent marker. See the difference?"

JJ closed the gap between them grabbing the knife from Emily's hand, placing it as far from them as her arms would allow before flattening her back against the edge of the counter.

Emily grinned, "whatcha doing baby?"

In response, JJ pressed their bodies together, grinding her hips to Emily's. In a husky tone, she breathed, "What does it feel like I'm doing, Em?" After a few second pause, "Are you interested?"

"Mmm hmm." Emily closed her eyes and nodded before turning toward the stove, "let me turn the heat down 25 degrees on the stove and extend the timer out another 15 minutes."

Pressing into Emily's back, running her fingers along the smooth skin underneath Emily's t-shirt, "That's probably a good idea."

Emily pulled JJ by her hand toward her bedroom.

JJ objected slightly, "but I need to get—"

Emily stopped to turn before nodding her head no, "What do you need to get baby? Jay? Because I promise you, we have all kinds of time to welcome that big guy into our relationship."

JJ began following with no further argument. "Okay."

"Then, follow me." Emily tugged JJ's hands and rushed her down the hallway towards the back of the condo. She pushed open her bedroom door, allowing JJ to follow her inside. The hallway light cascaded in, showering the bed in warm, sensual hues.

As JJ stepped through the open door, her vision fell upon the perfectly ordered bed. Visions of Emily writhing for her, just the way she liked, stirring the sheets into imminent disarray, made JJ ache deep between her legs.

JJ circled her arms around Emily's waist, and pressed herself firmly against the brunette's body. "Do you have any idea how much I want you?" Her voice was knotted with emotion.

Emily responded, pulling back slightly from the contact. "Yes." She snaked her hand across JJ's hip and thigh before placing it impressively over her core and massaging, "I would have to say you want me as much as I want you."

Emily pushed JJ back against the door, sweeping her hand underneath the fabric of her t-shirt, exposing the perfectly toned, creamy tummy, smiling inwardly as her finger ran over the top of JJ's buttoned jeans.

JJ's teeth tugged nervously at her bottom lip, "Emily?"

Emily shushed her with a forceful kiss, dipping her hand to run a finger softly down the center of her denim covered cunt. JJ gasped, mouth opening out of the kiss into the shape of an O.

"Is this what you want, baby?" Emily asked, attempting to lead JJ towards her bed.

If JJ were honest with herself, this would not have been what she had in mind; she had planned on doing the pleasing tonight. She didn't usually get to take the lead.

JJ pulled Emily's hand toward her, spinning her around so that she was now firmly against the bedroom door. She leaned her weight onto her elbows and whispered amorously into Emily's ear, "We're playing by my rules. This is all about you tonight, baby."

Emily arched her back away from the door with anticipation at hearing those words.

JJ teased her by moving her hand downward while placing gentle kisses to the brunette's throat. She tugged Emily's t-shirt over her head before pushing her hands underneath the lacy material of her bra.

Emily reached behind herself and moaned while unclasping her bra, "Let me take it off."

JJ pressed her chest firmly into the brunette even though Emily's bra was already falling open, "Remember it's my rules, honey." Contorting her arm to rest her palm flat against Emily's stomach, JJ slowly lowered it. "I promise, you're going to enjoy my rules."

Emily leaned her head back against the door, unconsciously moving her body against JJ's.

JJ dropped to her knees, and moved her hands to the button of Emily's pants. She pressed her mouth against the denim, pressing firm kisses into the material, stimulating the area blow. After unbuttoning Emily's jeans, JJ grabbed hold of the zipper with her teeth and lowered it with deliberate slowness. _No panties. Just the way I like._

After relinquishing her hold on the zipper, JJ acknowledged smugly, "I can smell your arousal. It's intoxicating."

JJ tugged the jeans down to her ankles before raising herself from the floor. Continuing her teasing; JJ caressed Emily's flushed skin before simply trailing her fingertips around exposed thighs.

Emily gasped, "Mmm, JJ. What do you want me to do?"

"Come. I just want you to come for me." JJ insisted, conveying the critically urgent nature of her only request.

Lowering herself once again, JJ tapped on the back of each of Emily's legs; a silent order. Emily dragged her feet from the restraints of the article of clothing at her ankles.

"Now, can you do that for me, baby? Keep in mind, you won't be in control." JJ asked, leading the older agent closer to the bed.

Emily lay onto the bed, parting her legs until she was entirely exposed to JJ, unbelievably wet already. Emily breathed, "Take your shirt of Jen. I want to see you."

Dizzied by desire, JJ crossed her arms over her stomach and grasped the hem of her shirt, pulling it over her head. She spoke seductively, "Is this what you wanted to see?"

Emily's voice fluttered, "God yes, baby. I need you to kiss me. I need to feel your skin pressed against mine."

JJ smiled before stalking on her knees toward the waiting center. "You're in luck. That's within the rules. But there's one more, so close your eyes." She commanded.

Emily closed her eyes and JJ reached over her, swiftly securing her left wrist in black velvet handcuffs before threading it through the headboard to reach for the other wrist. With minimal protest, Emily obliged, allowing herself to be shackled to her headboard.

JJ advised she could open her eyes before anchoring her knees behind Emily's thighs, resting her groin against Emily's wet pussy, her silk covered breasts to pebbled, exposed nipples, and her moistened lips to the skin below Emily's ear. "I love you, Emily," she whispered.

Emily lifted her head, turning slightly to the side. "I love you too, Jennifer."

JJ explained with satisfaction before kissing her, "Now I want to kiss you. Touch you. Lick every inch of your perfectly soft skin. I am going to make love to you, Emily Prentiss."

Emily's lips softened beneath JJ's and parted slightly. Slipping her right hand behind Emily's neck, JJ tilted the brunette's head to deepen the kiss. Her tongue fondled Emily's lips, her tongue, her teeth. The blonde began moving her hips, driving her still covered center into Emily's creamy pussy.

Responding eagerly, Emily tugged at her wrists in an attempt to free herself and wrap her arms around JJ's neck. With their hips moving together in rhythm, "I need you." Emily panted, "Inside me. Make love to me Jennifer."

JJ moved, allowing her weight to rest on her knees, before running her fingers along Emily's calf muscles, spreading her wider from her lower legs. For a moment, JJ simply admired her, from the tousled nature of her hair, down her long and lean torso, past her mound, all the way down to her toes. She made her return journey as casually as the first, until locking her sight into Emily's eyes. JJ's heart caught in her chest, "You are so beautiful, Emily."

She leaned back down and kissed Emily's lips, long and deep, before easing herself down along the heated skin. Once positioned between her lover's parted thighs, JJ closed her eyes, inhaling the musky aroma. Nothing had ever smelled better than an aroused woman. And nothing had tasted better either.

JJ pulled back slightly to run her tongue along the inside of Emily's leg from knee to thigh, slowing as she approached the waiting center. She licked Emily's cunt, a slow, languorous stroke causing the brunette to cry out, arching her back and guiding her hips into the contact.

JJ took the raised hips as indication to continue and invaded Emily's waiting pussy with her tongue, gently drawing herself in and out. Emily threw her head from side to side, tugging and twisting at her velvet-wrapped wrists in an attempt to free herself. Her attempts made the restraints tighter.

Emily spat with frustration and want, "Baby, let me out of—"

JJ spoke softly, "Stop thinking, and just feel Em."

"Why? I want to—" She trailed off, words lost as she sucked in a particularly quick breath.

JJ's heart hammered in her chest as she worked her mouth and tongue against Emily's hot, sweet center. She lifted one of Emily's legs and let it rest upon her shoulder, discarded wetness from her thigh fluttered against the side of JJ's face.

Open even wider now, Emily begged, "God baby, that feels good. Don't stop."

JJ enveloped Emily's clit briefly, before burying two fingers deeply inside. Dropping the hardened nub, JJ husked, "Don't worry baby, I won't. You've got no choice but to come for me."

The brush of JJ's fingers sliding in and out of her, skin to skin, coupled with JJ's words and hot breath escaping into her pussy was too much intensity. She felt her body begin to tighten.

"Not yet," JJ commanded desperately then thrust her fingers deeper inside, wanting nothing more than to drive a third inside. Her mind swam with thoughts of filling Emily with the previously gifted toy. How she'd like to thrust deeper than her fingers could, how she'd like to kiss her while being deep inside, how she'd like to have the brunette cry out in ecstasy, pussy contracting against the offending object.

JJ continued forcing her fingers inside, using her other hand to hold Emily's pussy lips open. After several slow licks, she bit down with mild pressure on Emily's clit; sending a jolt of pleasure and pain through the older woman.

Stifling a moan, Emily began thinking she'd die from pleasure. The feel of JJ pumping her fingers in and out, with gradually increasing speed could be felt on the tips of all the nerves within her body.

JJ stiffened her tongue and licked a sizzling hot trail the entire length of Emily's slit.

"You taste so good, Em," she whispered against the hot, slick flesh before resuming the slow trek of licks.

Emily groaned deeply, clenching her teeth tightly at not having any control. She couldn't think, she couldn't breathe. There was nothing but sensation and intelligent bliss coursing through her.

Pulling her fingers out, JJ languidly licked the two fingers clean individually, before thrusting them back inside. She held them in place for a few moments before pulling all the way out, and re-entering, each thrust deeper than the previous.

Emily whimpered before closing her eyes tightly, clenching her pussy in an attempt to thwart her imminent orgasm.

JJ's heart swelled at the intense concentration to follow the rules. "You're so beautiful. So perfect." She began licking circular motions around Emily's clit, "Open your eyes and look at me," she beckoned.

Emily peeked out with a pleading gaze, conveying her need she gasped, "Baby, please."

The whispered gasp made JJ's chest constrict. "Let go baby," she instructed before grasping again and pulling firmly at Emily's clit with her teeth and lips, thrusting three fingers inside.

It pushed Emily to the edge—everything about JJ had. Her soft movements that mingled with rougher wants and desires, her hesitation coupled with her intense enthusiasm.

She felt the walls inside her clench one last time around JJ's nimble fingers and then she shattered, her orgasm echoing through the afternoon air; screaming JJ's name, and God's name, and other sexy obscenities.

JJ licked the sweetness escaping Emily's slit while continuing to thrust her fingers in and out prolonging both of their satisfaction. The older woman's body quaked for several long moments. "I love it when you come in my mouth. You taste so good."

The mind-numbing ecstasy owned Emily for a few, long, idyllic seconds where she vaguely heard herself muttering, "Jennifer," and "Oh God," and "Oh fuck," and then she collapsed into JJ's arms. Realization set in that her beautifully loud cries may have, in fact, been heard by her neighbors.

JJ withdrew her fingers and pressed them to Emily's lips, allowing her a teasing taste before pressing their lips together. Each woman basked in the taste of their own saliva mingling with Emily's nectar.


	23. Rendered Speechless

_JJ withdrew her fingers and pressed them to Emily's lips, allowing her a teasing taste before pressing their lips together. Each woman basked in the taste of their own saliva mingling with Emily's nectar._

JJ whispered into Emily's lips, "I love the way you taste. You should let me sample more often."

Emily responded with a coy smile, "I love your inflection when you say such dirty words in that sultry tone of yours. Now unlock me so I can thank you properly for that."

The shrill ringing of a cell phone followed quickly by the distant, dull beeping of the oven timer broke the comfortably sensual atmosphere.

JJ rolled over to grab her phone from the night stand and answered without glancing at the call display, "Agent Jareau."

Laughter came through the phone before a familiar, friendly, female voice permeated the air. "Do you always sound so formal when talking to family?"

"Oh, hey Ren. You do realize its Valentine's Day, right?" JJ jabbed, holding a finger up to her mouth; a silent instruction for Emily to not speak.

Lauren bantered, "Whatever. Is that supposed to mean that I can't call my sister? I figured you'd be alone, so what's the harm?"

JJ started, "Actually, I have been meaning to call you-"

Emily interrupted the two sisters' conversation with a touch of annoyance in her voice. "Seriously Baby, as much as I'd love to stay in these shackles all night, I really need to check on dinner. So unlock me, right now!"

"Who was that?" Lauren questioned, causing JJ's eyes to widen and mouth to hang open. She shook her head, unsure of how to respond.

Lauren mulled over the words she'd heard muttered in the background: _'Baby'_ and _'in these shackles.'_ She thought to herself, _Wait, does she… Is someone handcuffed?_ Realization settled and she blurted, "Oh my God. Oh my God. You were having sex, weren't you? Oh my God."

"God no, Ren. I wasn't having sex." JJ defended, while leaning her ear to her shoulder to unlock the handcuffs currently restraining Emily.

Lauren responded disbelievingly, "You're such a fucking liar. A terrible one, too. You always were. Who is she?"

Emily mouthed, _'I'm sorry'_ before exiting her bedroom en route to the kitchen.

"I'm not kidding. I wasn't having sex when you called."

"I'm sure if you keep avoiding the question; I'll still remember that someone is handcuffed to your bed!" Lauren nearly shouted. "And that someone called you baby. So stop insulting my intelligence, spill it."

"Fine, you're right. But I wasn't having sex." JJ paused to rub her brow before finishing her thought, "As if it's any of your business, I already _had_ sex."

"Well I guess that's better; atleast I didn't interrupt anything." Lauren spat seriously before teasing, "Now who is she? Come on, is she hot? Was the sex good? I know you're just dying to tell me."

"Oh yeah, she's hot." JJ laughed before continuing, "And it's Emily. Remember me telling you about her?"

"Remember her? Shit, how could I forget her? You've only been pining over her since about 13.8 seconds after you met her. I still remember you texting me that first evening. It's about time you did something about it. How long have you been hiding this from your favorite sis?"

"Just because you're my only sister, doesn't mean you're my favorite." JJ joked, "But we've been together for a few weeks. I wasn't hiding it from you, Ren. Believe me. I'm sorry; I've just been busy."

"Make it up to me, then and tell me when do I get to meet her? I feel like I know her already. I mean, I just interrupted your post-coital cuddle. It's just a formality now. I need to make sure she's what you say she is and that she's worthy of you."

"I don't know when." JJ countered with a question of her own. "Maybe next weekend if we're not on a case. Does that work? There's something else I wanted to tell you as well."

"Okay for next weekend, and what?" Beginning to think the worst, Lauren rattled off what came to mind, "You're not moving in together are you? Or already picking out baby names? Please tell me there's no child on the way. You know that Mom and Dad are so going to kill you."

JJ asked incredulously, "What the hell? Do you seriously know nothing about me? No. God, no. I just wanted you to know that I gave her that skeleton key you had given me years ago."

All joking aside, Lauren asked kindly, "So you're sure about this one then, huh, Jenny?"

"Ugh, I hate it when you call me that," JJ announced, feeling slightly miffed.

"I know. That's why I do it," Lauren provoked.

Taking the provocation, JJ hastily spat, "You can be such a bitch when you want to be, but yes. I'm sure about her."

"Then I'll let you get back to your gal. Keep me posted on this weekend." Lauren replied, readying to end their conversation.

"Sounds good."

"Oh, and JJ?"

"Yeah?" JJ questioned.

Lauren admitted, "I love you, and I'm really happy for you. I mean it. You deserve this. You always have."

"Thanks, that means a lot. Good night Ren." JJ replied with a smile evident in her voice before hanging her end of the line.

JJ sat for several long minutes, clutching her cell phone to her chest with both hands crossed; allowing tears to fall effortlessly down her face.

Emily called a handful of times from the kitchen before deciding to check whether JJ was still on the phone. Noticing that she wasn't, she called again from the doorway but received no response. Entering slowly, not wanting to make the blonde even angrier, she kneeled in front and noticed her tear stained cheeks.

"Baby, I'm sorry about this." Emily started speaking before reaching up to cup JJ's cheeks in her palms. "I don't know what I was thinking; I just didn't want dinner to burn. It was selfish, and I really am sorry. This isn't exactly how I wanted to end up _in trouble_ with you."

JJ responded quietly biting back more tears, "I'm not mad. My sister has never really known the right way to talk to me, but she just told me that I deserve this and I deserve you; that I've always deserved it. It probably seems silly, but it was exactly what I needed to hear." She laughed in an attempt to not feel so vulnerable "I really don't know why I'm crying."

Emily soothed, "You know why, baby, and it's okay. You needed her reassurance and you got it. She knows you better than anyone does. Regardless of how she's talked or not talked to you in the past, she knows what she needed to say to get through to you."

Wiping away her own tears, JJ moved to stand. "Thank you for being so good to me. Now, I'm hungry. Feed me."

"Demanding JJ is hot," Emily replied with a wink. "I'll add it to my list." Grabbing the blonde's hand, she pulled her toward the dining room, "Come on, Love."

The dining room table was beautifully set for two. The tasteful gesture tugged on JJ's currently over-emotional heart strings. Several white and red candles sat burning in the center of the dining table, sensually perfuming the air. The fireplace flames danced in the faintly lit room, casting mesmerizing shadows along the terra-cotta colored walls.

Emily placed a gentle kiss to JJ's lips before whispering, "Happy Valentine's Day, Jennifer."

* * *

**A/N 1:** Oh my god, Valentine's Day went on for like 2 weeks. It's over now, thankfully. Maybe I won't have to force myself to write anymore (It's pretty much my least favorite day of the year.)

**A/N 2:** So, like, review and stuff so I know you guys actually read this. Otherwise my _uber-mean_ girlfriend will continue to hoard my time and my updates will become fewer and farther between.


	24. Eighteen Years

**A/N 1:** This chapter is inspired by a conversation I had with my mother last night. She called me after I finished work while I was lying on my back on a downtown bench with my head hanging upside down over the edge. I was looking at the Sears Tower, pretending that it was built upon the underside of a cloud, wondering who else was gazing at the same clouds.

* * *

A cacophonous sound startled Emily from her sleep at 6:21 AM the following morning. She blinked quickly, looking at the ceiling briefly whilst trying to determine the source of her sleep intrusion.

_Cell phone? Of course, _Emily thought as she groaned to reach for the offending object.

"Prentiss," She responded hoarsely; sleep prominently etched into her voice.

"Oh good, Emily, you're awake. I was worried you wouldn't be up yet," the cool, professional voice of one Elizabeth Prentiss grated on Emily's slightly unconscious mind.

"Right," Emily callously responded. "Yeah, I just got back from a run. Can you tell?"

"Oh dear, don't be so irascible. It's not becoming of you."

Emily countered acrimoniously, oblivious to the blonde sleeping peacefully beside her, "Would you mind wrapping this up already by telling me what has you calling me at 6:22 in the freakin' morning?"

"Your language is appalling Emily!" Elizabeth berated, before continuing, "Do you remember running into an Amy Jensen yesterday?"

Rolling her eyes, voice not faltering in tone, Emily recoiled "You ruined my last 23 minutes of blissful sleep; that I was poised to fully enjoy might I add, to ask me if I know an Amy Jensen? Are you even listening to yourself?"

Elizabeth deadpanned, "Yes, Emily. That's why I am calling. Why are you so dismayed?"

Emily vehemently spat, "It couldn't possibly be that you awoke me to ask about some Amy Jenkins. Let's just cut to the chase; why the hell are you really calling me Mother?"

"Jensen. Her last name is Jensen, and she's a florist." Elizabeth avoided further comment toward Emily's choice of words.

Emily shot up in bed with wide eyes. The reason for her mother's phone call pieced together instantly; forcing out any remnants of sleep.

Playing coy, not wanting to show her cards, "Oh. That Amy. I didn't know her last name was Jensen. I guess you could say I know her; what about her?"

Elizabeth spoke in a calculated manner, "She called me yesterday and asked me how long my daughter had been in a relationship with a woman. Why would she ask me something like that, Emily?"

Emily concluded with deliberate animosity, "Wow, is this the first grade? I mean, really. Is this even happening? She tattled to my mother because I bought flowers from her for Valentine's Day and her nosy-ass asked too many questions? You fucking people are incredible. It's no wonder you two are friends."

"Emily, your language!" Elizabeth admonished. "And yes this is happening. I sorted everything out for you and informed her that you are by no means having relations with another female. You needn't be concerned, but you may want to be more careful. You should also consider meeting a gentleman and settling down to avoid any further misunderstanding."

Emily spoke incredulously, "Mother. Get over yourself. Are you that clueless? I bought flowers for Valentine's Day. Women don't buy men flowers for Valentine's Day, do they? And I certainly didn't buy them for myself."

Elizabeth asked cluelessly, "What are you saying, dear?"

Allowed her voice to come out evenly for the first time that morning, Emily replied, "Surely you can't be serious, but for the sake of trying to salvage my last nineteen minutes of sleep. I am in a relationship with a woman. Quite the committed relationship, actually."

"Why hadn't you told me this sooner? I would have tried to understand."

"What is there to understand, Mother? I told you eighteen years ago that I'm gay, and you informed me that it was a phase and it would pass. Guess what Mother, nothing has changed. Absolutely nothing. I'm still gay, and you still pretend that our conversation never happened." Emily huffed feeling defeated, "Your level of support for my happiness is astounding."

Elizabeth chose her words carefully, "I hardly pretend that conversation never happened, Emily. Have you no faith in me?"

Emily forced a tired, vacant response, "Oh right, that's why you want me to settle down with a _gentleman_."

Whole-heartedly defensive, Elizabeth caved, "Don't be so crude, Emily. It was a simple slip of the tongue."

"You're working on eighteen years of slipping up, Mother. I'm still a lesbian and it still makes you angry," Emily spoke while attempting to mask the hurt in her words.

"I'm not angry, dear. I'm," Elizabeth paused to find the proper word before dropping her voice an octave. "I'm disappointed."

Emily nearly yelled, "Oh!" before lowering her voice and allowing the venom to seep through. "Because what you said is so much better, right? You've never supported me, and I didn't tell you because what fucking child wants to be told _I'm not mad at you, honey, I'm just disappointed that you're gay._ If I thought you'd grown up at all, then maybe I would have told you."

Elizabeth spoke in disgust toward being mocked, "Oh Emily, don't say it like that. You know I never said such things."

"Can't you see this is just as hard for me as it is for you? You don't even respect me, Mother. I'm gay, not diseased. It's not a fucking disease; you're not going to catch it. You'd known that if you even tried to get to know me," Emily chided. "Are we finished here? I have nothing left to say to you."

_Now or never._ Mustering all of the will-power she had to speak, Elizabeth spoke affectionately, "Emily, I never knew how to talk to you about it. You never wanted me to meet or get to know your girlfriends. Honestly, you never wanted me to get to know you. I'm not disappointed that you're a lesbian. You need to understand that. I'm disappointed that for eighteen years I haven't known how to tell you that I love you for everything that you are."

Stunned into silence, Emily sat with her mouth agape.

Receiving no response, Elizabeth continued speaking "It can't be that surprising to you, Emily. You're all I have in this world and I want to get to know my daughter, if you'll let me do that. I want to get to know this woman in your life, too. Will you tell me about her? I'll promise you, I'm not the three-headed monster that you make me out to be."

Emily spent the next fifteen minutes before her alarm went off informing her mother of her relationship with Jennifer before settling on having dinner as a group of three later in week.

* * *

**A/N 2:** Review and I'll guarantee an update (maybe two) this weekend. It would be sooner, but my brother graduates on Friday so I'll be dead to the world for most of Saturday.


	25. Vicious Fangs

**A/N 1:** So, I broke two fingers on my right hand shortly after my last update. It's been almost three weeks since and I took the splints off my fingers so typing won't suck as much. I wrote this at work during a meeting and it's not been proofread...

Now, on with the show.

* * *

Some five hours after admitting her relationship with JJ to her mother, Emily stood in front of the blonde media liaison's closed office door. Extending her hand to knock, she heard a quiet voice penetrate her ears before her knuckles met the hardened, pseudo-wooden surface.

JJ announced professionally, "Come on in, Emily."

Emily opened the door and smiled as she entered casually.

"Hey, I was wondering if you wanted to get some lunch. I'm famished. You wouldn't believe this girlfriend of mine; she never feeds me. It's unreal." Emily proposed expectantly.

Glancing toward the bullpen through the internal windows of her office, JJ noticed Morgan close his brown folder, place his pen atop, and reach into his desk drawer. _Probably getting his car keys_, she thought.

"Honestly?" JJ asked, catching the raised brow of Emily in response to her rhetorical question. "I think you should go ask Morgan to lunch and perhaps you could inform him of our relationship. He's a good friend of ours and you owe it to him. We owe it to him actually. But this one is on you, Love, because your girlfriend enjoys torturing you."

"You," Emily said in mock accusation, "are the meanest girlfriend, ever." Casting her eyes into the bullpen, she caught sight of Derek taking his first steps away from his desk. "You're right, though. I'll pick you up something. See you in an hour or so."

Emily exited the office and rushed toward the elevator where Morgan was waiting patiently. He flashed his perfectly brilliant, white smile as she strode up next to him.

"Going to lunch?" She queried shyly; her words beginning to fail her.

"Yeah. You too?" He asked politely.

Pulling down the front of her already straightened suit jacket, Emily closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. "Do you want to get lunch together? I have something I want to talk to you about."

"Certainly, Em. Are you okay?" He continued to speak before she could even begin to respond. "I'll drive. You look like you might need a break."

"Are you profiling me?" Emily asked incredulously.

Jaw dropping slightly, Derek defended, "Um, no. It doesn't take a profiler to have heard your deep breath and see you close your eyes longer than normal. If you want to drive, then drive. And you can stop pulling on the bottom of your jacket, it looks fine. Keep it up and you'll wrinkle it."

Realizing that she was just trying to keep her hands busy, she opened her mouth to speak, but the elevator dinged at their floor and stopped her words. Emily entered and reached forward to press the '1' to take them to the lobby. Noticing the permanent marker on her palm visible to Morgan if he were looking, she jerked her hand back to her side.

Derek noticed her rigidness and took two steps toward the keypad and pressed the '1' himself. He placed his hands on either of Emily's shoulders firmly before speaking, "whatever it is, Em. I'm here."

Emily closed her eyes and took several steadying breaths before raising her hand for him to read.

"Property of Jay. Yeah, I know about him. Is that what this is all about? That he wrote on your hands? I agree, it's kind of childish but it's romantic, in a way." Derek offered, quite unsure what the problem was.

"I'm sorry, wrong hand." Emily raised her other for him to read.

"Property of JJ. Okay, so he wrote on both of your hands. The guy is persistent; I'll give him that. Some of us are like that when we find the right one. Look at it this way, atleast it's not on the top, or that he didn't write on your forehead. If he did that then maybe you'd have a reason to look so glum."

Emily chuckled at his choice of words and his ability to diffuse the tension. She opted to wait until they had reached the lobby before speaking again, thinking it would be easier if his intense eyes weren't boring straight into her.

When the door dinged open, Derek placed his right hand protectively on the small of Emily's back and led her out. He angled his body slightly and walked a quarter-step in front of her in an attempt to maintain some eye contact.

He questioned, "Where are you parked?"

Emily responded matter-of-factly, "It doesn't matter. You're driving. Lead the way."

Derek led her to his vehicle and glanced at her once they were both seated and buckled in. He placed a reassuring hand atop hers in an attempt to steady her shaking fingers."Whatever it is. You can tell me, Em. I'm here, okay. Just let me have it."

"I'm gay," Emily blurted before tossing her right hand over her lips and staring at Derek with wide, brown eyes.

Derek investigated cautiously, "Wow, you're good at this _just hit me with it _stuff. Gay as in 'I only have sex with women' gay?"

"Yeah. That kind of gay," Emily responded.

"Please don't take this the wrong way, but this Jay guy, does he know? Or was he just an experiment? Or what is…?" Derek trailed his question off, unsure what he really wanted to ask.

Taking another deep breath, Emily spoke quiet but affectionately, "I guess if I wanted to answer all of your questions at once then: Jay equals JJ, who equals our very own Jennifer Jareau, who just happens to also equal my girlfriend." Emily paused momentarily, "I nearly slipped and told you a few weeks back, but I hadn't talked with JJ about when we were going to tell everyone. I'm sorry for not telling you sooner, Derek."

Derek simply squeezed Emily's left hand with his right before plastering a wicked grin on his face, "Wow, nice catch. JJ, I mean. So, I take it she's the one responsible for you bailing on my drink nights, huh? I suppose I can forgive the both of you for waiting so long. I'm really happy for you. You know what this means, though, right?"

Emily looked at him, unsure what he was getting at, "Um, I assume you're going to tell me."

"It means you owe me lunch and some of the finer details."

"No way. I'll buy you lunch if I get to pick where we go, but you are not allowed to perv on my relationship, Morgan."

Morgan clenched his hand over his heart in mock hurt, "I'm saddened that you'd say such things about me." He grinned cheekily, "But really, Em, I'm happy for you and I understand it's not easy to admit that you're gay. Thank you for sharing this and your secret is safe with me. I really hadn't intended to 'perv' on you as you call it. I just wanted to know when it happened, how, who approached who, and so forth."

Emily pondered for dramatic effect, "Start heading toward Potbelly's and I think I can divulge that sort of information to you."

The two sat comfortably for several minutes; the only sounds present between them were coming from the speakers before Derek started laughing unprovoked.

"Spill it," Emily demanded.

Morgan continued to laugh, "I don't know if you want me to."

Emily furrowed her brow, "Oh, now I have to hear it. Out with it."

Morgan stated playfully, "I just realized that our little JJ has some vicious fangs on her. And I find it particularly funny that she'd bite you, repeatedly might I add, knowing the kind of work that you do."

Emily's face turned several shades of red, "You're right, I didn't want to know. Besides, you said you weren't going to do that."

"What did I do other than state what any person with _one_ working eye could have seen? I didn't _perv _on anything, so don't be a hater, Prentiss."

* * *

**A/N 2:** Read and review because you missed me oh-so-much. Chapter 26 is halfway completed, I promise not to take 3 weeks to post it this time. :)


	26. Social Ineptitude

**Author's Note: **I wrote the beginning of this two weeks ago; the end is in regard to a (bad?) dream that I had last night. Usually case explanation isn't something I want to get into, but I wrote about it to force Emily and JJ to realize how precious life is. I'm not going to elaborate any further than where it is at because that's not the direction of this story. I have no plans of making a habit of it, so don't hate. :)

* * *

_"What did I do other than state what any person with one working eye could have seen? I didn't perv on anything, so don't be a hater, Prentiss."_

Emily walked back into the FBI headquarters bobbing her head to the silent tune running through her head, a genuine smile affixed to her face. Her left hand drummed the same beat against her upper thigh as her and Derek made their ascent in the elevator. In her right hand, a long, narrow brown paper bag; inside rest what her girlfriend had previously dubbed as the most delicious toasted sub in the tri-state area.

After reaching the proper floor, Emily followed Derek out and allowed him to open the doors leading to the bullpen. She pranced across the open room, mussing Spencer's shortened boy band looking hair along the way causing the sincere smile on her face to grow increasingly larger. Derek let out a hearty laugh at her antics as she moved further away, closer to JJ's office.

Spencer looked around momentarily, unsure what was going on before fully turning his chair and asking, "What's up with her today? Is it that _boyfriend_ of hers?" His question came out with an unconscious emphasis on the word 'boyfriend.'

Derek smirked before choking on his words. Attempting to straighten his face, he spoke coolly, "Oh, the boyfriend, right. Yeah, you could say that."

Derek dropped the long brown paper bag onto his desk before pulling his jacket off of his broad shoulders. He had ordered a sandwich for Penelope after Emily said she needed to get one for JJ.

Spencer glanced into JJ's office and viewed JJ walking toward her door. He shot a look back at Derek before asking, "Okay, so when did you find out?"

Derek asked quizzically, "Find out what?"

Looking back toward the office once again as JJ latched the door closed and began shutting her blinds, Spencer responded, "That the _boyfriend_ is very blonde, very blue eyed, and very female."

"Did Emily tell you? Or JJ?"

"Just because I'm socially inept doesn't mean I don't know these things sometimes." He finished his next thought with a slightly dejected undertone, "But to answer your question, neither one of them told me."

Shaking his head slightly, unsure that the boy genius really had it all figured out. He prodded for what Reid knew, "Then how do you know they're not just friends?"

His face turned red with embarrassment as he recollected the moment he put it all together, "I'm a profiler." He had expected that to be enough, but the look on Derek's face informed him that it wasn't even close. "They don't hide it very well. Emily used to ask me if I wanted her to get me anything for lunch each day we're here and not on a case because she knows I don't use my car if I don't have to. She hasn't done that in weeks, a month maybe. She spends her lunch hour, in there, with the blinds closed or JJ and her leave out together. They sit a little closer than 'just friends' on the jet these days. And I, well, I can just feel it." It wasn't the whole truth, but it seemed logically accurate in this scenario. He didn't want to explain how he _knew_. He just did.

"Well good job, Boy Wonder." Derek glanced at the sandwich on his desk, "By the way, this is for you." He grabbed it and set it down in front of Spencer before retreating to his own chair, "It's a 'Wreck,' because I couldn't remember which one you liked. I hope its okay or atleast edible to you. There are olives on it; I know you like olives. You were in Hotch's office when I left. Sorry for not asking you to come along, man."

Spencer smiled at Derek's _genuine_ desire to make him feel better. "Thanks Morgan." Reaching into his pocket for his wallet, he probed, "How much do I owe you?"

Feeling rather guilty at his usage of a second hand gift in order to cheer Spencer up, "Oh, don't worry about it." He smiled politely, "this one's on me. You can get me lunch tomorrow. Deal?"

Before he could answer, Hotch walked through the bullpen hurriedly, sweat gleaming from his brow. The FBI's counter-terrorism division of Chicago's field office had requested their immediate assistance. "Conference room, now. You," He stated, pointing at Reid as he walked past. Backing toward JJ's office, he continued, "eat that quickly. It'll be wheels up in less than fifteen. We need to hit the ground running with this one."

Hotch knocked on JJ's door and poked his head inside before instructed to enter. Catching them in an embrace, he made no mention of it. There were more pressing issues. "Conference room, now. Finish your lunch in there. Wheels up in fifteen." And with that, he was gone, leaving two startled women in his wake.

"Do you know anything about this?" Emily questioned.

Worry evident in her expression, "Nothing." JJ pulled back from Emily's arms and tossed the last few bites of her sandwich into trash; she no longer felt hungry. In fact, the serious nature of the cases that bypassed her desk made her sick to her stomach.

Penelope made her way into the bullpen and announced on the verge of tears, "Derek! I got a hold of your mother. She said she's okay and your sister's are accounted for, but she wondered why you weren't calling her. Why haven't you called her?"

"What are you talking about? What is going on? Why would I call my mother while I'm here, working?"

Mortified, Garcia spoke in a questioning manner, "the explosions in Chicago?" Getting no response, "There have been seven so far today. Please tell me you've heard."

"I have, now." Derek's heart sank and any positive emotion etched on his face had quickly been replaced by fear. He had to, he needed to, call his mom himself to hear her voice with his own ears and to hear from her that his sisters were all okay.

Several minutes later, Hotch was giving all details that he had before he'd allow Garcia to offer her input on the technical aspect. He really didn't have much to offer aside from the cross streets of each explosion as well as the specific locations: a vacant city bench; probably a test. An illegally parked car. A coffee shop with minimal mid-morning patrons; a few injuries but no casualties. A busy, upscale restaurant at Navy Pier. Three CTA buses, each escalating in damage and death toll.

Hotch displayed a map of metropolitan Chicago numbering the various different explosion sites in sequential order of occurrence.

Feeling as though he knew the city better than anyone, Derek jumped immediately into Superman mode. He queried, "Do you have a map of the 'L' that you can display?"

JJ and Hotch asked in unison, "the L?"

"Yeah, the L." Realizing anyone not familiar with Chicago may not know what that means, "The rapid transit system in Chicago. Do you have a map that you can overlay? I don't remember the route of all the lines, but this one here," he stated, moving toward the map, "at Harrison and Halsted is within walking distance of the Blue line. It stops about a block away at UIC. I used to take it every day. And this one here, at Monroe and State is steps from the Red line. Both are just a short ride to Union Station, the hub for all eight lines. Maybe that's how they're traveling. It's in immediate proximity to the Sears Tower, literally, across the narrow Chicago river. Hundreds of thousands of people funnel through that area daily."

"I believe you're probably right about how they're traveling; here's why. It is my understanding that a broad spectrum signal jammer is being used to cut signals on all MA, GSM, DCS, 3G, and 4G frequencies at each location. This is bigger than you might fathom."

"How big are we talking?" Hotch inquired with a stoic façade.

"Different networks use different frequencies, but all emergency services communication, smart traffic control, cellular telephone service, even cordless land-line phone usage is virtually non-existent while this specific model of jamming device is active. There is no way to block signal jamming nor do I have a conclusive idea of how wide the area of each jammer is. It's plausible to say that they could overlap the entire city if activated at the same time. The batteries usually last for a couple of hours or until turned off. In some cases, the devices appear to have died or exploded because traffic signals were working in roughly thirty percent of the city the last time I checked. Traveling above ground is going to be at a standstill, and much of the police manpower is going to be directing traffic, removing them from investigatory affairs."

Derek asked the question they were all thinking, "How exactly are we planning to communicate?"

Basically, I have satellite phones for you all which utilize the GMR standard. I can't guarantee that they'll work, but it's your only hope for communicating. GMR is a relatively new technology and I don't believe it's affected by jamming. They've all been tuned to the same frequency."

Closing his folder and moving toward the door, "Okay Garcia, you can teach us how to use these on the jet."

Penelope's jaw dropped before confirming, "Wait, what? I'm coming with you? But, but my babies aren't ready to travel."

"Well, if there's no cell phone service, we're going to need you in close proximity. Be out front in ten minutes and we'll head to the airstrip. This isn't up for negotiation."

* * *

After a few lines in the next chapter, it'll go back to being a total love-fest now between Emily and JJ.


End file.
